Environmental Policies and Performance of Agribusinesses Among Smallholder Farmers in Siaya County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jnsrr/V2E6/2026-06Keywords:
Smallholder Farmers, Agrochemicals, Land Use Policies, Agribusiness Performance, Climate Change, Resource Management, Land use policy.Abstract
Despite existing environmental policies and government interventions, farmers continue to face low productivity, income instability, and environmental challenges such as soil degradation, water stress, climate variability, and improper agrochemical use. However, limited localized empirical evidence exists on how these environmental policy frameworks influence agribusiness performance. This study therefore examined the impact of environmental policies on agribusiness performance among smallholder farmers in Siaya County. The general objective was to examine the influence of environmental policies on agribusiness performance among smallholder farmers in Siaya County. Specifically, the study sought to determine the impact of land use policies; examine the relationship between water resource access and management practices and agribusiness performance; evaluate the effect of climate change resilience and adaptation practices; and assess the relationship between agrochemical use and agribusiness performance. The study was grounded in Institutional Theory, the Resource-Based View (RBV), the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF), and the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) theory. Cross-sectional research design was employed to assess the relationship between independent variables and dependent variable. The target population comprised approximately 220,000 smallholder farming households in Siaya County. Using Yamane’s (1967) formula, a sample size of 400 respondents was obtained. A stratified random sampling technique was used to ensure representation across all the sub-counties. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Multiple Linear Regression in SPSS Version 22. The findings revealed that all the independent variables had a positive and statistically significant effect. The study concluded that responsible agrochemical use enhances productivity when integrated with effective land management, sustainable water use, and adaptive climate strategies. The study identified a research gap in the limited county-level quantitative evidence linking specific environmental policy dimensions to agribusiness performance within a devolved governance structure. The study recommended the enforcement of land use regulations, improving equitable water access, scaling up climate-smart agriculture programs, promoting safe agrochemical use, and enhancing participatory policy implementation, farmer training, and improved extension services. It further recommended investment in irrigation and storage infrastructure, promotion of cooperatives, and support for diversification and value addition, with further research in comparative county studies and examination of gender and youth dimensions.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Horace Otieno Sigar, Erick Namusonge, Mwamburi Mcharo (Author)
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