Intensive farming, agro-diversity, and food security under conditions of extreme population pressure in western Kenya

This paper examines the impact of very high population densities and agricu ltural intensification on farm diversity and food security. Geertz and othe r researchers have suggested that intensification is likely to lead to crop specialization and a loss of diversity. Others, especially for Africa, hav e argued that intensification maintains or even increases agro-diversity. T he case of Hamisi, in western Kenya, one of the most densely populated area s in all of rural Africa, supports the latter scenario. Farmers engage in a wide variety of sophisticated practices that maintain exceptionally high l evels of agro-diversity. Their farming system includes complex patterns of intercropping, polyvariety, an emphasis on multi-purpose crops, and the clo se integration of crops and livestock. Despite this agro-diversity, we find that the intense population pressure in Hamisi has resulted in such small landholdings that diet quality and food security are seriously jeopardized. Despite the diversity of their farms, most families are highly dependent o n market purchases and they consume very limited quantities of nutritionall y dense foods, especially protein.