Nutrition in agricultural development: The case of irrigated rice cultivation in West Kenya

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Abstract
This study on the nutritional aspects of agricultural and rural development, examines the case of irrigated rice cultivation in Western Kenya. Large‐scale irrigation schemes were established in the region two decades ago; in the past few years, paddy production by independent smallholders has been expanding rapidly. Nutrition surveys were conducted among four groups of farmers differing in degree of participation in and dependence on irrigated rice production. These include: non‐rice growers, resident tenants at large‐scale irrigation schemes, non‐resident tenants at the large schemes who also farm sizeable plots of land elsewhere, and individual rice growers who have a similar combination of resources as the third group but who usually cultivate only small rice plots. The observed differences in nutrition between the four groups appeared to be primarily related to diversity in available resources. The group with the most narrow resource base namely the resident tenants had the lowest food production for home consumption and the lowest average energy intake per consumption unit. This group also had the lowest food intake levels among young children and showed a higher incidence of stunting compared to children belonging to the other study groups. The nutritional differences among the remaining groups were much smaller but the nutritional status of the children of the non‐resident tenants, the group with the widest resource base, proved the most favourable. The two remaining groups took an intermediate position in respect of diversity of resources as well as nutritional conditions.

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