Productivity, Climate Risk, Financial Inclusion, and Economic Sustainability among Smallholder Tea Farmers in Kisii County, Kenya: A Systematic Review (2016-2026)
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Background Smallholder tea farming supports livelihoods in Kisii County, Kenya, but its economic sustainability may be affected by production efficiency, climate variability, financial inclusion, and institutional and market conditions. The relationship between tea bonus earnings and household welfare remains insufficiently established. Objective To synthesize evidence on production efficiency, climate risks, financial inclusion, institutional and market conditions, and income diversification, identifying gaps concerning tea bonus earnings and household economic sustainability. Methods A systematic literature review of empirical publications from January 2016 to October 2026 was described. The approach involved structured keyword searches, eligibility screening, data extraction, and narrative thematic synthesis. Meta-analysis was not conducted because of heterogeneity in study populations, designs, methods, and outcome measures. Results Economic sustainability was associated with interconnected production, climatic, financial, and institutional factors. Mean technical-efficiency estimates were lower in Kisii (0.61) than in Nandi (0.69), Kericho (0.74), and Mau (0.77). Kisii farmers reported changing rainfall patterns and rising temperatures, while financial-service access was positively associated with economic empowerment. Other studies examined institutional arrangements, information access, market conditions, and factory financial management. However, these findings provide mainly contextual evidence and do not establish how tea bonus earnings affect household income adequacy, savings, investment, or long-term welfare. Conclusion Smallholder tea sustainability requires consideration of production efficiency, climate resilience, financial capability, and value-chain performance. Direct evidence linking tea bonus earnings to long-term household economic sustainability in Kisii County remains limited. Conclusions require verification against original studies and completion of reproducible search, screening, and methodological assessment records. Trial registration Not applicable.
Source: Research Square
Author: David Ongabi Nyambane
Institution: Kampala International University
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225735183