Agriculture

Natural resources form the foundation of much of the Kenyan economy today. Agriculture in particular is a cornerstone of the country's economy employing over 80 percent of the population. In fact, more than 50 percent of export earnings are attributed to agricultural products with cash crops of coffee, tea, tobacco, cotton, sisal, pyrethrum, and cashew nuts leading the way.

Exports of fruit, flowers, and vegetables are also attracting an increasing amount of foreign attention and money. Tea continues to create the largest agricultural profit for Kenya. The primary food crops are beans, cassava, potatoes, maize, sorghum, and fruit. As in the early days of the republic, these crops are mainly harvested as subsistence farming today.

Both agricultural productivity and population density are influenced by rainfall. The majority of Kenya receives less than adequate rainfall needed to support crop cultivation. As a result, the coastal area and Lake Victoria boast the most intensive agriculture and greatest concentration of people. Pastoral farming dominates the remaining drier regions of Kenya. Camel are common in the arid desert areas while cattle, sheep, and goats dominate the rest of the country.

In a pastoral society, wealth is measured by the ownership of animals, not land. These pastoral animals serve a multitude of purposes for their owner: transportation, milk, blood, meat, and wool or hair. Because these animals are dependent upon land for grazing, they must be kept on the move. This has encouraged a nomadic lifestyle among many Kenyans which greatly influences social and family customs. The provision of supportive social services such as health care and education have been negatively impacted because of the prevalence of this nomadic way of life. In addition, there is little incentive to conserve grazing land. These traditional attitudes conflict with the more recent emphasis on conservation. This issue remains a volatile one and it is far from being resolved.

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