Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : Climate-smart livestock production at landscape level in Kenya

Auteur : Brandt, Patric

Université de soutenance : Wageningen University

Grade : Doctor 2018

Résumé partiel
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from unsustainable land-use practices around the world contribute significantly to anthropogenic climate change. Growing population pressure and low efficiency of agricultural production systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) trigger the expansion of agricultural land into natural ecosystems, which leads to deforestation and land degradation, and causes GHG emissions. At the same time, prolonged droughts and increasingly erratic weather patterns due to climate change jeopardise food security in SSA countries such as Kenya.

The concept of ’Climate-Smart Agriculture’ (CSA) as a global development goal was introduced to guide the transformation of agricultural systems towards sustainable food production systems by integrating measures of climate change adaptation, mitigation and food security. To achieve this goal in SSA, the largely smallholder-driven food production has to be intensified on existing agricultural land. The sustainable intensification of smallholder production systems is crucial to avoid compromising environmental goals such as safeguarding the carbon (C) sink capacity of forest ecosystems.

Kenya’s agricultural sector is the largest contributor of the country’s total GHG emissions, while 90 % of the agricultural emissions stem from livestock production alone. To curb the increase of GHG emissions, Kenya as a member state of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been developing national and sectoral policies that aim to mitigate GHG emissions from agriculture, while increasing agricultural productivity. As part of its ambitious economic development plan, Kenya seeks to boost its dairy sector in order to meet the increasing demand for milk, which results from the fast growing population.

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