We also recommend increasing the productivity of livestock species and integrating improved varieties of fruit tree
species in the research location, particularly on farms with limited space,
as these could also contribute to enhanced food and nutrition security,
income generation and to more sustainable and resilient food systems.
When factors influencing food plant diversity in different contexts are
taken into consideration, transition of smallholder farms into diversified,
highly productive and sustainable agroecological systems can be better
targeted and behavior change enhanced by measures such as creating
awareness and improving access of farmers to planting material of desired
species. As staple food production on very small farms is unlikely to meet
a household’s food and nutrition requirements, integration of high-value,
nutrient-dense crops such as vegetables, fruits and spices/condiments for
home consumption and sale should be promoted to improve year-round
food and nutrition security of smallholder farming households in Western
Kenya and beyond.