Kibugi, Robert --- "Implementing Stewardship in Kenyan Land Use Law: The Case for a Sustainability Extension" [2012] ELECD 277; in Martin, Paul; Zhiping, Li; Tianbao, Qin; Du Plessis, Anel; Le Bouthillier, Yves; Williams, Angela (eds), "Environmental Governance and Sustainability" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012)

Book Title: Environmental Governance and Sustainability

Editor(s): Martin, Paul; Zhiping, Li; Tianbao, Qin; Du Plessis, Anel; Le Bouthillier, Yves; Williams, Angela

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781781000472

Section: Chapter 14

Section Title: Implementing Stewardship in Kenyan Land Use Law: The Case for a Sustainability Extension

Author(s): Kibugi, Robert

Number of pages: 25

Extract:

14. Implementing stewardship in Kenyan
land use law: the case for a
sustainability extension
Robert Kibugi

14.1 INTRODUCTION

Poverty and food insecurity are two serious challenges facing developing
countries like Kenya. A large section of the national population, especially in
rural areas, earns a livelihood from land-based activities. Credible evidence
suggests that engaging in farming or rural agriculture correlates with poverty,
which calls into question prior policies focused on agriculture per se for gener-
ating rural economic growth, and alleviating poverty and food insecurity.
Innovative mechanisms have been introduced to supplement agriculture. One
is controlled community agroforestry on degraded state forests, known as the
shamba system. Shamba is Swahili for garden or farm. Over time rural agri-
culture, farm forestry and the shamba system have demonstrated declining
productivity and failure related to depletion of soils and poor husbandry,
which in turn are related to a lack of relevant knowledge and skills.
Passing on relevant knowledge and skills to enhance how farmers use their
land to increase productivity and fertility has typically been performed
through agricultural and forestry extension.1 Failures in rural land uses have
been linked to inadequacies in the extension function. Where extension has
been effective, case studies show a positive outcome. This suggests that exten-
sion can enhance sustainable land use, if adapted to support stewardship
alongside uses like forestry and agriculture. This chapter is an inquiry into
how extension can be adapted as a mechanism available for land use, and envir-
onmental law to ...