Impact of Improved Climbing Beans

The agricultural sector plays a key role in the lives of the rural poor in Africa. It acts as a major occupation and supplies them with basic needs. Research has shown that persistent poverty in Africa is rooted in the impoverishment of women as they carry the lion's share of family production. Furthermore,the welfare of rural children and overall household food security is largely affected by women's access to resources and technology for food production and income generation. One obstacle that has hindered women from accessing agricultural technology is the use of conventional methods of dissemination. KARI which is Kenya's premier agricultural institute has come up with an approach that has ensured active participation by farmers in identifying varieties of crops that suit their circumstances. This has provided women with opportunities to participate in agricultural technology development and enhanced their access to technology.Climbing bean is among the crops that underwent this participatory research process in Kenya. This book illustrates the impact of Participatory approaches in diffusing new technology among rural communities.