Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Smallholder farmers in Kenya face interconnected environmental and socio-economic pressures such as erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, seasonal floods, and soil degradation that undermine crop productivity, threatening their food security and livelihoods. In response, several field trials and clean energy initiatives in Kenya have introduced biochar for improving soil conditions, boosting yields, cleaner cooking fuel and mitigating climate change. Yet uptake among smallholders remains low. Existing research largely emphasises agronomic and climate outcomes, offering little understanding of how farmers view biochar in relation to their daily sustainability challenges. Without this perspective, dissemination may remain top-down and poorly aligned with local realities, limiting meaningful uptake. Drawing on qualitative methods, specifically focus group discussions and key informant interviews, this study investigates how smallholder farmers in Embu and Kwale counties perceive sustainability, situate biochar within these local dimensions, and identify barriers and enablers to its adoption.

Reflective thematic analysis of the study revealed that farmers’ understanding of sustainability is grounded in lived realities expressed through continuity, resilience, and dignity amid precarious ecologies, fragile economies, and institutional neglect.

Biochar emerged as both a promising agricultural input and a symbolic source of hope. Farmers valued it for improving soil fertility, water retention, pest control, yields, reducing chemical fertiliser dependence, and enhancing agency. Engagement was shaped by visible results, hands-on experimentation, and peer learning. Experiences varied: farmers gained confidence through trials, while farmers new to biochar relied on community narratives, and youth viewed biochar entrepreneurially. Women acknowledged its health benefits as a cleaner cooking fuel; however, food security remained the overriding priority. While institutional actors often prioritise material needs, they frequently overlook farmers’ emotional and symbolic dimensions like trust, hope, autonomy, and a sense of control, which shape cautious engagement with innovations and their adoption.

Adoption was uneven, influenced more by social, emotional, cultural, and institutional realities than technical performance. Limited access to knowledge, training, gender norms, and resource constraints shaped uptake, showing that willingness is not the barrier; systemic inequalities and institutional gaps are. Top-down initiatives, hesitation toward external actors, and past experiences with soil-degrading fertilisers fostered cautious innovation, while farmers’ demand for ongoing training reflected a desire to build self-resilience and autonomy. Persistent gendered expectations linked biochar use to women’s domestic roles, embedding adoption within broader social structures. Turning biochar’s promise into practice requires sustained, farmer-centred training, gender-sensitive approaches, supportive institutional relationships, and equitable access to feedstock, markets, and guidance. Adoption is shaped not only by material capital and observable results but also by social influence, affective experiences, and power dynamics. Hope, frustration, and dignity play influential roles. Integrating technical, social, and institutional perspectives can help biochar move from fragile experimentation toward sustainable agricultural transformation, benefiting local livelihoods and contributing to climate change mitigation.