The impact of technical change on the rural Kenyan household: evidence from the integrated agricultural development program, a research proposal and literature review

Abstract

The research draws together two areas of inquiry: the employment and welfare implications of technical change in agriculture and the economic roles of women in rural Kenya. Anthropological sources indicate that traditionally men, women and children have had responsibility for different crops, tasks and support obligations within the rural Kenyan household. Although the traditional patterns have changed due to the colonial experience and pressures of increasing commercialisation of the rural economy, they still form the basis for current practices and attitudes.

The basic research hypothesis is that the division of labor, rights and obligations by sex and age within the rural household will be an important factor affecting: adoption and effective use of new technology as well as the welfare consequences of adoption for each household member and the household as a whole. Concomitantly, it is hypothesized that technical change will have a differential impact on the labor input of each household member as well as on his or her access to productive resources, right to the benefits generated by increased productivity and decision making roles within the household.

The research proposes to examine the hypotheses within the context of evaluation of the constraints and consequences of adoption of the Integrated Agricultural Development Program (IADP) recommended crop packages for a sub-set of 6 IADP areas spanning 3 climatic zones and 4 agro-ecological zones.