Editor’s choice
Editor’s choice
This report provides clear evidence for the benefits of adopting Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices in smallholder farming systems in Western Kenya.
Sustainable land use in Africa.
Photo: StockSnap/Pixabay
This study examines the economic impact of adopting SLM practices—specifically Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM)—on household income and carbon sequestration potential among smallholder farmers in Siaya County, Western Kenya.
The farming system in Western Kenya is primarily small-scale subsistence agriculture, characterized by low inputs and yields, leading to rapid soil fertility loss and degradation. This decline in soil quality negatively impacts food production and income security. Healthy soils are essential not only for agriculture but also for carbon sequestration, as they store more carbon than all terrestrial vegetation combined.
Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices have gained attention for their potential to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, contributing to climate change mitigation.
Alongside this report, the authors contributed to a policy brief: Mack, M., Brakhan, A., Wehinger, T., & Lutta, A. (2025). The economics of soil organic carbon: Multi-benefits from sustainable land management for smallholders in Western Kenya. ELD Policy Brief. Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative. Bonn: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). https://www.eld-initiative.org/fileadmin/ELD_Filter_Tool/Case_Study_Kenya_2024/Kenya_Soil-Organic-Carbon_2025_policybrief_EN.pdf
SEI working paper / The researchers analysed spatial land use data for the past two decades for primarily arid and semiarid lands (ASAL) to project forest cover in Kenya by 2050.
Journal article / To build climate-resilient value chains, the study proposes the Value Chains for Arid and Semi-Arid Regions approach.
Perspective / Biochar looks simple, but its role is not.
