Climate Change and the Agriculture Sector

This 2014 briefing note examines the impact of climate change on Kenya's agricultural sector, which provides over 50% of the country's foreign exchange earnings. It highlights the sector's vulnerability to droughts and floods, its role as a source of 30% of Kenya's greenhouse gas emissions (mostly from livestock), and provides guidance for businesses on adaptation and low-carbon practices. It emphasizes that while mitigation is important, the Kenyan government prioritizes food security and export earnings over emission reduction targets.

• Agriculture is a critical pillar of the Kenyan economy, accounting for over 20% of the GDP and more than 50% of foreign exchange earnings. The sector is dominated by small-scale farming, with 75% of output coming from rain-fed lands on farms typically between 0.3 and 3 hectares.
• Climate change impacts in Kenya are already evident through increased flooding, droughts, soil erosion, and reduced productivity. Specific risks identified in the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) include a decrease in reliable cropping days, unpredictable rainfall patterns that disrupt planting and harvesting, and the emergence of new pests.
• The agricultural sector is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions in Kenya, contributing approximately 30% of the country's total emissions as of 2010. The livestock sector is the primary driver, generating about 90% of these agricultural emissions.
• Low-carbon development priorities for the sector include agroforestry, conservation tillage, and limiting the use of fire on rangelands and crops. Other mitigation opportunities include generating biogas from animal and agricultural waste, using biofuels, and improving water management through drip irrigation.
• The Kenya Agricultural Carbon Project, located in Kisumu and Kitae, is the first project in Africa to sell voluntary soil carbon credits. While it benefited 60,000 smallholder farmers across 45,000 hectares, the project found that revenues from increased productivity were more economically significant for farmers than the financial benefits from carbon market revenues.
• The Kenyan government, via the NCCAP, prioritizes food security and export earnings over emission reductions, stating it will not adopt mitigation measures that threaten the ability to feed the population or reduce export income.

APA

Murphy, D., & Harris, M. (2014). Climate Change and the Agriculture Sector. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Climate-Change-and-the-Agriculture-Sector.pdf

Chicago

Murphy, Deborah, and Melissa Harris. Climate Change and the Agriculture Sector. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Climate-Change-and-the-Agriculture-Sector.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Murphy |first1=Deborah |last2=Harris |first2=Melissa |title=Climate Change and the Agriculture Sector |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=April 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Climate-Change-and-the-Agriculture-Sector.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{murphy2014climate, author = {Murphy, Deborah and Harris, Melissa}, title = {{Climate Change and the Agriculture Sector}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Climate-Change-and-the-Agriculture-Sector.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }