Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
table 6.6 (continued)
summary of Indicator evaluations carried out by communities in the
Intensive study site, Kiambu district, Kenya, august-september 1998
attribute
mahindi
Kiawamagira
Gitangu
Pests and
diseases
No statement given.
Death
d
rate high. Morbidity
high.
d
Malaria, typhoid, and
alcoholism main causes.
Morbidity high.
d
Causes
were coughing, common
cold, tuberculosis, and
malaria.
Markets
No statement given.
Market is well supplied with
goods.
Sufficient variety of goods
in market.
Savings
No statement given.
Currently purchasing most
food items.
Most farms have livestock
cattle.
Knowledge
No statement given.
No new farming techniques.
Knowledge of current
affairs is high. Extension
meetings regular. A
number of farms currently
using novel farming
techniques.
Infrastructure
Access road in very
poor condition.
Access road in very poor
condition.
School, access road in fair
condition.
a
Statements were not clear and did not refer to previously selected indicators.
b
Participants did not give findings for this indicator. Follow-up questions resulted in noncommittal
answers or decline to answer.
c
Because these weeds were absent, researchers were unable to establish their identity.
d
Participants did not want to provide numbers.
e
No indication of the period considered. Participants did not wish to provide details.
f
Refers not only to constipation but also to heartwater.
g
A skin disease in sheep. Exact etiology being confirmed. Most likely sheep keds.
6.4
dIscussIon
6.4.1 C
of m p A r i s of n
o f
i
in D i C A t o r
s
u i t e s
With the researcher-proposed indicators focusing mostly on numeric, non-value-
based measures, it was difficult to find suitable measures in the social domain and
less so in the economic domain. In contrast, community-based indicators were more
strongly value based, focusing mostly on a social-economic interpretation of the
underlying biophysical phenomena. The community-based suite contained many
indicators that would be suitable for many of the attributes in the social domains
of the researcher-proposed suite. The two suites therefore provided complementary
information on the health and sustainability of the agroecosystem. That this was the
case is further supported by the fact that communities requested to be provided with
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