Effect of market integration and access on food security among smallholder sorghum farmers in Machakos County

Abstract

Smallholder farmers are critical to developing countries food security. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of market integration (horizontal and vertical) and access on food security among smallholder sorghum farmers in Machakos county, Kenya. This study was guided by two theories: the Transaction Cost Economics Theory (TCE) and Entitlement Approach (EA) to food security. Data was collected using structured questionnaire from 240 smallholder sorghum farmers which was representative of the target population. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse data collected from the participants. Farmers contracts and farmers cooperatives were used as proxy for vertical and horizontal integration. Farmers Access to Market Index (FAMI) which considered proportion of households reporting sorghum sales, total quantity of sorghum sales per household, and the proportion of sorghum quantity sold to input suppliers was employed as a proxy for market access. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) survey and subjective measures were used to analyse household food security. Probit regression model was applied to analyse the determinant variables. This study found a high prevalence of food security among highly educated households. Further, this study revealed that farmers contracts, cooperative membership and sorghum sales had a significant inverse relationship with food security, due to structural constraints, lack of institutional support and insufficient productive resources experienced by the smallholder sorghum farmers. Therefore, this paper recommends that the county and national government launch initiatives to raise awareness about the importance of drought-resistant sorghum crop in improving household food security. To fully realise the potential benefits of farmers contracts and cooperative memberships the government ought to first focus on addressing the challenges the smallholder farmers face in sorghum production and marketing. Second, establish contractual frameworks and cooperative management structures aimed to support smallholder farmers to produce more efficiently and access more reliable markets, through their contractual and cooperative membership arrangements. The government and policy makers to establish and implement policies that effectively organise the sorghum market to make the crop more competitive for farmers to produce and market, and ultimately improve their household food security.

KEY WORDS: Vertical Integration. Horizontal Integration. Market Access. Food Security. Markets. Smallholder Sorghum Farmers.