Sub-project 8

Climate Change and Ecological Sustainability of Horticultural Value Chains

Contact: Dr. Silke Stöber

This sub-project concerns the cultivation of those vegetables known as African indigenous vegetables (AIVs), and their relevance to climate protection and adaptation to climate change in East Africa. The project analyses the effects of climate change on vegetable cultivation, as well as the effectiveness of different means of adapting to climate change. In addition, it investigates various ways of increasing the sustainability of cultivation, and develops strategies for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

The analysis encompasses different cultivation methods in three different agricultural climate zones. This includes smallholding, contract farming, and semi-urban greenhouse cultivation. Based on the results of the analysis, different courses of action for adapting to climate change are proposed and discussed, along with mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in garden cultivation and throughout the value chain.

Two PhD students are working on this project, as a collaboration between SLE and Egerton University in Kenya. Central to this research programme is the use of various tools for analysing ecosystem-based adaptations to climate change, and the development of practical methods for measuring the CO2 emissions and ecological footprints of different vegetable varieties throughout the value chain.

PhD theses (2015-2018):

Barnabas K. Kurgat: Promotion of African Indigenous Vegetables: Contribution to Nutrition-Sensitive and Low Carbon Agriculture in Kenya

Barnabas K. Kurgat, Silke Stöber, Samuel Mwonga, Hermann Lotze-Campen, Todd S. Rosenstock, Livelihood and climate trade-offs in Kenyan peri-urban vegetable production, Agricultural Systems, Available online 8 November 2017, ISSN 0308-521X

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Winifred Chepkoech: African Indigenous Vegetables in the face of climate change: A socio economic analysis of adaptation strategies in selected agro-climatic zones of Kenya

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Grafik Forschung

Figure 1 HORTINLEA research area

Master and Bachelor projects (as second supervisor):

  • Lucas Zahl (due 2016): Climate Change adaptation in smallholder African Leafy Vegetable systems: A cost and benefit analysis of water management practices (Master in Agricultural Economics) in collaboration with PD Dr. F. Riesbeck
  • Marisa Heyerhorst (due 2016): Evaluation of a low-cost and low-tech microirrigation system in vegetable cultivation (Bachelor in Agriculture), in collaboration with PD Dr. F. Riesbeck
  • Sarah Mayr (due 2016): Measuring sustainability of selected AIV Value Chains in Kenya with the Cool Farm Tool (Master in Agricultural Economics) in collaboration with Prof. Dr. W. Bokelmann
  • Caroline Moraza (due 2016): Cost Benefit Analysis for Aquaponic Systems in Kenya (Master in Agricultural Economics) in collaboration with Prof. Dr. W. Bokelmann
  • Annika Brümmer (due 2016): Exploring agricultural potential in Sub-Saharan Africa: A case study on Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda (Master in Integrated Natural Resource Management) in collaboration with Prof. Dr. H. Lotze-Campen
  • Juliane Kaufmann (due 2016): Community-based forest enterprises (CBFE) development in Cambodia and their relevance for community livelihood development (Master in Integrated Natural Resource Management) in collaboration with Prof. Dr. W. Bokelmann