From rural to urban: Exploring livestock farming practices in urbanizing landscapes

Summary

CONTEXT: Urbanization in Kenya continues to accelerate, reshaping the agricultural landscape and impacting livestock farming practices. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the spatial variation of livestock farming systems across urban, peri-urban, and rural areas in Nakuru County to assess the impact of urbanization on resource use, nutrient cycling, and livestock diversification. METHODS: A multi-stage cluster sampling method was used to interview 241 households selected from four subcounties: Nakuru East (urban), Naivasha (urban), Njoro (peri-urban), and Kuresoi North (rural). In each subcounty, three wards were selected, with four selected roads per ward. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect data on farm size, herd size and diversity, feeding practices, manure management, and market access. RESULTS: The total herd size, including all animal species present on the farm, was lower in the urban area of Nakuru East than in all other areas (P < 0.001). However, the numbers of individual species (i.e., dairy cattle, dairy goats, and chickens) per farm did not differ among areas and were not significantly correlated to land size. On average, farmers kept 4.6 dairy cattle, 6.2 dairy goats, and 49.1 chickens if they had those species. In the urban areas of Nakuru East, land scarcity led to limited space for forage production. The other areas prioritized land use for crop production over that for forage production for their livestock. Our findings indicate high stocking rates across all areas: urban areas averaged 41.8 TLU/ha and peri-urban and rural areas averaged over 6 TLU/ha. The high stocking rates and low forage production explain the overall dependency on feed purchases. Agricultural supply stores were present in all areas, providing opportunities for feed and other input purchases. Peri-urban and rural farms relied more on compound feeds, while urban farms purchased specific energy- and protein-rich ingredients for their livestock diets. Due to the high dependency on feed purchases and small land size, farms face nutrient accumulation in the form of manure, creating risks of environmental hazards. Overall, our research reveals that urbanization has created a shift towards more intensive and market-oriented farming across all areas. SIGNIFICANCE: Understanding the interaction between urbanization and livestock farming practices is crucial for developing sustainable agricultural production and marketing strategies that can accommodate the changing landscape of urbanizing areas.