How does climate-smart aquaculture affect fish productivity among smallholder farmers in Kakamega County, Kenya? A multinomial endogenous switching regression

Boke Christopher Magesi, Hillary Bett & Augustus Muluvi

Abstract
Climate change and its pronounced effects have greatly disfranchised the livelihoods of aquafarmers. To leverage these negative effects of climate change, climate-smart aquaculture (CSA) practices have been developed for adoption by farmers. However, it is not known whether these practices have made any meaningful contribution to farmers in terms of their livelihoods and resilience to the vagaries of climatic change. This paper examines the effects of climate-smart aquaculture practices on fish productivity in Kakamega County, Kenya. Using a multistage sampling technique, 220 respondents were selected and a multinomial endogenous switching regression was used for analysis. The paper highlights that group membership and extension services increase the propensity for adopting CSA practices. In addition, the paper underscores the importance of combining various CSA practices to enhance fish productivity. Notably, the combination of dam line use, tanks and adjusted stocking times has a substantial effect on fish productivity. The paper therefore recommends the importance of prioritising and revitalising agricultural services that accelerate the uptake of CSA practices so as to boost productivity and, ultimately, improve the livelihood of farmers.