The gender dynamics of crop varietal choices in rural Kenya: navigating risk, diversification, and decision-making

Abstract

How do women and men farmers in Kenya situate, form, and pursue varietal choices amidst unequal gender relations, seed markets, and climate variability? Drawing on 67 individual interviews and focus group discussions across five Kenyan counties—Bungoma, Busia, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, and Makueni, we apply a feminist political ecology (FPE) lens to examine women and men smallholder farmers’ varietal choices and use in rural Kenya. We show that varietal choice is neither linear nor a simple shift toward ‘newness’ but rather a gendered, intersectional, and bioculturally embedded process of negotiation by farmers to maintain seed diversity and meet multiple short-term and long-term needs, including consumption, marketability, agroecological adaptation and cultural drivers such as labor demands and culinary values. While production traits were prioritized by both women and men, women also highly valued processing and consumption traits. Men (adults and youth) prioritized market traits such as yield potential and market potential. Varietal availability, trust, price, and agroecological fit shape women and men’s perceptions about a variety, choice and use. Gender and age differences shape varietal awareness, with young men and women’s access to information through digital platforms, while adult women relied on interpersonal and local networks. Adult men used radio and mobile phones. Findings illuminate farmers’ strategic maintenance of varietal portfolios spanning both local landraces and breeding varieties. We conclude that seed policies should integrate local knowledge and gendered realities, availability, and access to preferred varieties. Strengthening farmer-researcher crop technology co-creation through participatory breeding, on-farm seed conservation and multiplication is essential.