ENABLING THE ADOPTION OF CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE BY WOMEN TEA SMALLHOLDERS IN WESTERN KENYA 

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Nandi, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii & Nyamira

Rift Valley, Kenya

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Partners:

National Organisation of Peer Educators (NOPE), Sireet OEP

Sasini Tea, Kass FM, Minto FM, Twinings,

Ethical Tea Partnership, Kenya’s Tea Research Institute, and WOW

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Project Funder:

FCDO’s Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) Programme

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When:

09/2023 to 06/2025

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Target Audience:

Tea smallholders and workers, particularly women, involved in Twinings’

tea supply chain in Nandi, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii and Nyamira counties, Kenya

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Radio Programmes:

'Tugetab Kabotik ab Sasini ak Sireet OEP' on Kass FM 91.1

('The Sound of Farmers from Sasini and Sireet OEP)

and

'Omoremi O’Sasini Kipkebe Nonguru’ on Minto FM 101.7

(‘A Powerful Farmer of Sasini-Kipkebe’)

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Project Summary

​In November 2023, LYF partnered with FCDO’s Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) programme to fund the expansion of an existing Farmers’ Voice Radio project for smallholder tea farmers in Nandi County, Kenya, implemented in partnership with Twinings as part of their Sourced with Care initiative.

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The original radio programme, which was broadcast on Kalenjin-language radio station, Kass FM, between September 2022 and November 2023, focussed on health, gender equality and diversified livelihoods, and reached a regular listenership at least 16,000 smallholder tea farmers across the county. With WOW support, this project was extended and the focus shifted to supporting women smallholder tea farmers in particular to adopt agricultural practices that enhance resilience to climate change. 84 episodes of the radio programme were broadcast in two different languages on two radio stations, reaching over 300,000 tea farmers across five counties. 

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Delivering a Kalenjin-language Farmers’ Voice Radio programme

​From November 2023 to August 2024, WOW supported the design, development and delivery of a 10-month radio series. This series was broadcast on Kass FM and developed specifically for Kalenjin speaking members of Sireet OEP (a smallholder tea processing cooperative) and Sasini Outgrowers (managed by Sasini PLC, a Kenyan tea producer), whose members made up the Programme Reference Group (PRG) that generated radio programme content through monthly meetings.

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Many of these smallholder farmers have faced production challenges due to destructive weather such as hailstorms and droughts. This has led to unstable incomes and some parents being unable to cover their children’s school fees. This instability, together with social norms that create additional pressures for many of the women, have caused tensions within the home. As a result, topics discussed by the PRG and recorded for the programme included farm diversification, climate change risks and mitigation strategies, and household and community gender dynamics.

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Delivering a Ekegusii-language Farmers’ Voice Radio programme

​Following the success of the Kalenjin-language Farmers’ Voice Radio, a similar programme with Ekegusii-speaking smallholder farmers in Kisii and Nyamira counties was launched in September 2024 and ran until June 2025. It was broadcast on KBC station Minto FM for members of Kipkebe Outgrowers (also managed by Sasini PLC) and the wider Ekegusii-speaking tea smallholder community.

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96 farmer Radio Champions also played a vital role in the project, organising communal listening sessions in public spaces that allowed the community to listen together and discuss the weekly topic.

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Original audio recordings of all episodes can be found on dedicated YouTube channels for the Kalenjin and Ekegusii programmes.

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Procuring, installing and monitoring the use of biodigesters

​At the start of the partnership, a survey showed that women are more likely to cut trees for fuel and sale as timber, due to their role as the main providers of food for the family. The partnership team wanted to explore ways to encourage the planting of harvestable trees and shrubs within tea crops to preserve and enhance the productivity of the land, and to reduce dependence on trees (for fuel or income) amongst smallholder tea farmers.

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An alternative energy pilot was initiated with biodigesters, which convert animal waste into gas which is piped into homes for cooking. With WOW funding, biodigesters and biostoves were purchased and installed by provider Sistema.bio on the farms of 10 women. These women then hosted a series of demonstrations and training sessions to raise awareness of the benefits of this clean energy technology amongst their peers. At the end of the project, 98% of women and 96% of men expressed intent to install one on their farms.

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Impact: Women’s leadership and financial independence

• Women have gained respect and are more likely to put themselves forward for leadership positions in the community.

• Women have begun earning their own income and contributing to household finances, including education costs.

• Women have adopted a more businesslike approach to their farming, with all survey respondents using financial and production record-keeping tools at project end (increased from 28%).

• There is increased joint decision-making in households, with women having greater financial control and involvement with joint accounts.

• There is an enhanced awareness of women’s rights and laws protecting against gender-based violence. For example, the proportion of men who believed that ‘sometimes a woman needs to be controlled’ decreased from 72% to 60%.

• Men are supporting women in domestic and agricultural activities. Three-quarters of women acknowledged that their partners were taking a more active role in domestic and caregiving duties.

 

Impact: Farming practice, energy and climate change

• Annual tea yields increased, and the project encouraged diversification, with many women and men adopting activities like poultry farming, kitchen gardening and avocado production. Over 80% of respondents credited the programme for their improved productivity and income.

• Farmers increased knowledge and adoption of practices such as pruning and plucking has improved tea quality. Both Sireet and Sasini’s factories have reported an increase in the average leaf count that meets its quality requirements. This results in increased income for farmers.

• Farmers have a better understanding of measures to adapt to and mitigate against climate change and have increased their use of practices such as mulching and planting drought-resistant crops.

• Farmers have a heightened awareness of the need to plant and protect trees for benefits including fruit production, water conservation and alternative energy.

• There has been a reduction in the amount of firewood used. Biodigester hosts also experienced a reduction in the incidence of smoke-related health issues.

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Case Study - Winnie

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Winny (pictured) is 29 years old. She is married with two children. Winny has half an acre of land on which she grows tea and vegetables to sell and use at home. She also keeps poultry. She has been a Radio Champion for two years.

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Winny values the independence and financial security that farming gives her. However, the changing climate has impacted Winny’s crops: drought affects production, and hailstorms have delayed tea plucking rounds and therefore income. Winny’s personal circumstances have compounded these challenges: a family member has been sick, and she has struggled to pay for her children’s education; all of which has led to increased tension at home.

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Winny enjoys her role as a Radio Champion, and she has gained status in her community. She believes that her involvement has led to better collaboration with her husband on farming, sharing household responsibilities and looking after their children. She uses her kitchen garden for her families’ needs, bringing greater nutrition into their diets. In the community, there is a better understanding of efficient farming processes and crop rotation. Winny plans to grow her poultry business, with the aim of building more income security for her family.

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Winny says, “The programme has helped me and my community.”

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A selection of other case studies is available to view and download here.