Land Sub-Division and its Impact on Household Food Security. Evidence from Nyamira North Sub County, Kenya

Land is a crucial resource that human beings depend on for survival. For rural dwellers, livelihood land and life are inseparable. However, since the last three decades, farm sizes held by households in many parts of Africa and Kenya in specific have diminished tremendously as a result of successive land sub-division. Since land is an essential commodity for rural livelihoods enhancement, it is not clear how land sub-division has influenced household food security. Thus, this study sought to investigate how land sub-division has influenced household food security in Nyamira North Sub County. Through use of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the study established that culture, high population growth, poverty, and lack of government policy on land subdivision are the drivers of lad sub-division in the study area. The study also revealed that land sub-division has reduced household food production and subsequent household food insecurity. The study concluded that the practice of land sub-division has led to dwindling land sizes that have negatively impacted on food production and heightened hunger. Unless policies to guide land sub-division in terms of the minimum size of land to be sub-divided as well to change livelihood sources are formulated by the government, misery and suffering for the future generation are imminent.