Commercialisation of agriculture in Kenya: Case study of urban bias on food availability in farm households

This study investigates the effect of cash cropping on food availability and examines the determinants of the proportion of income allocated for food expenditures in the Nyeri district in Kenya. Using a Tobit model, the results suggest that in general food expenditure allocations suffer due to cash cropping in Kenya as the lump-sum income flows from this may be used for purchases other than food. Food expenditure also suffers when remittances are irregular. On the other hand, earnings from outside employment for married women living with husbands are positively associated with food expenditure allocations. Amounts of non-cash food output as well as ownership of livestock are negatively associated with food expenditure allocations. These findings indicate that lump sum income may not lead to improved welfare of women and children. Thus, there may be social reasons for increasing non-cash food production especially by women, instead of over emphasizing cash cropping as now seems to be so in public policy.

The relationship between commercial agriculture and food availability to Kenyan farm families: A case study

This article examines the effects of agricultural commercialization and other factors on per capita food availability by means of a case study in the Nyeri district in Kenya. It was found that cash cropping has a negative influence on per capita food availability in the male-headed households. This negative influence is not apparent in the female-headed households and in fact, per capita food availability rises with increased agricultural commercialization. Households of married women seem to suffer more in terms of reduced food availability than households headed by females. Husbands have control over cash income and therefore influence food purchases. They are less likely than females to use the cash for food purchases and tend to spend the cash on themselves, thus reducing food availability to family members. This suggests that in some patriarchal societies, caution should be displayed in encouraging cash cropping especially in male-headed households. Cash cropping under such circumstances is unwise from both a food availability and food security point of view because it can result in reduced crop diversification hence increasing the risks of income food deficits for families. Other factors found to have an influence on per capita food availability are employment of the women outside households, educational level of the women and the quality of land.

Public attitudes to the use of wildlife by Aboriginal Australians: Marketing of wildlife and its conservation

Indigenous Australians have socioeconomic attributes similar to those of residents in some developing countries. Their utilisation of wildlife could add to their economic opportunities. Attitudes of a sample of the Australian public towards the subsistence use of wildlife by Indigenous Australians and whether or not they should be allowed to sell wildlife and wildlife products are examined. Allowing such possibilities could provide economic incentives for nature conservation among local people. We explore whether those sampled believe that Indigenous Australians should do more than other groups and institutions to conserve Australia's tropical species, and whether or not they should be allowed to take common as well as endangered wildlife species for food. Attitudes of the sampled public towards Indigenous Australians earning income from trophy hunting and from the harvesting of northern long-necked turtles for the pet trade are canvassed. The possible conservation consequences of sale of wildlife by Indigenous Australians are discussed.

PCDDs in the water/sediment-seagrass-dugong (Dugong dugon) food chain on the Great Barrier Reef (Australia)

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and dibenzofuran (PCDF) concentrations were measured in sediment and seagrass from five locations in or adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. A full spectrum of Cl(5-8)DDs were present in all samples and, in particular, elevated levels of Cl8DD were found. PCDFs could not be quantified in any samples. The PCDD concentrations ranged over two orders of magnitude between sites, and there was a good correlation between sediment and seagrass levels. There were large quantities of sediment present on the seagrass (20-62% on a dry wt. basis), and it was concluded that this was a primary source of the PCDDs in the seagrass samples. The PCDD levels in the seagrass samples were compared with the levels in the tissue of three dugongs stranded in the same region. The relative accumulation of the 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD congeners in the dugongs decreased by over two orders of magnitude with increasing degree of chlorination. This was attributed to the reduced absorption of the higher chlorinated congeners in the digestive tract, a behaviour that has been observed in other mammals such as domestic cows. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.