Abstract:
Hunger, malnutrition, and poverty remain stubbornly persistent in sub-Sahara Africa especially
among poor rural households where postharvest losses are observed, thus increasing levels of
hunger and poverty. In this context, postharvest management is practiced using technologies that
are on different levels of development continuum. The purpose of the study was to explore the
factors influencing postharvest and agro-Processing indigenous knowledge (PHAP-IK) practices
in curbing losses in Kipsaraman Division of Baringo County, Kenya. The study objective was to
determine how age, level of education and the communities' knowledge and attitude affect the
practice of PHAP-IK. An exploratory survey design was used to generate a quantitative and
qualitative data and analyzed using SPSS version 21. In relation to knowledge and attitude
towards PHAP-IK, 99.7% of the respondents had some knowledge though minimally utilized
especially among the young and educated. The study noted a strong positive association between
age of the respondents and attitude towards PHAP-IK {X2
(8, 314) = 54.48, p<.001, r (312) =
0.40, p<.01} while level of education and PHAP-IK was negatively correlated {X2
(8, 314) =
86.39, p<.001, r (312) = 0.47, p<.01}. Considering the prevailing food insecurity in the region,
PHAP-IK should be considered alongside other strategies to help curb the food losses and hence
contribute to improved food and nutrition security in the region. The study also recommends
inclusion of indigenous knowledge in school curricula and its documentation to foster
sustainability. |
