Woensdag 08 December 2021

PhD candidate: W (Wytze) Marinus MSc. Promotor: prof.dr. KE (Ken) Giller. Co-promotor: dr ir KKE Descheemaeker & dr ir GWJ van de Ven & dr B Vanlauwe. Organisation:Wageningen University, Plant Production Systems. This work employed the ‘integrated co-learning approach’ which we developed and tested in western Kenya. The aim of the approach was to facilitate sustainable intensification and thereby to increase crop yields and household income of smallholder farmers. During the five seasons of the programme most households became maize self-sufficient as yields doubled or tripled. Provision of input vouchers each season allowed farmers to invest in technology such as seeds, fertilizer and other inputs. Yet due to small farm sizes most households were not able to earn a ‘living income’ despite the large increases in yields. This thesis underscored the need for large changes within and outside the farming sector to sustainably increase yields and farmer incomes, while ensuring no one is left behind.

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