Abstract:
The well-being of the rural population globally has been associated with the performance and
resilience of the agriculture sector. The sector continually requires new needs-based knowledge and
technologies. It has become necessary to empower the rural communities through a wider bottomup system that directly addresses their needs. This paper explores the application of little-used
Participatory Livelihood Analysis for the adoption and up-scaling of its use in the assessment of
agricultural-extension-needs for disadvantaged rural communities. It presents a case study of a
village perceived by Agriculture stakeholders as disadvantaged in Nandi County, Kenya. Using a
case study design and a participatory livelihood analysis approach, the descriptive study analyses
the pentagon of resources (Natural/Land, human, social, physical and financial) based on the
sustainable livelihood framework. It identifies livelihood strategies, constraints and opportunities for
improvement on the performance of the livelihood strategies. The study observed that the
Participatory Livelihood Analysis approach was an effective method in the assessment of
agricultural-extension-needs of disadvantaged communities in relatively remote locations. Further
trials of the approach in similar socio-economic contexts for use in needs assessment are
recommended.
