Publication Type
Journal Article
Journal Name
Frontiers in Aquaculture
Publication Date
7-6-2026
Abstract
Introduction – Fish feed management plays a central role in aquaculture productivity, but it is rarely analysed through a gender lens. This study examines how women and men differ in their use and sourcing of fish feed ingredients in smallholder aquaculture systems in Western Kenya. Drawing on feminist economics, it explores how everyday roles, access to resources, and mobility shape feed practices. Methods – The analysis uses survey data from 213 fish farmers, including 112 women and 101 men, across six counties in Western Kenya. A binary logit model was used to assess factors associated with the use of selected feed ingredients, including poultry waste, plant leaves, and maize powder, while controlling for socio economic characteristics, mobile phone ownership, farming system, and county. Results – Clear gendered patterns emerged. Women reported higher use of maize powder, poultry waste, cassava waste, chicken manure, feathers, and other household organic by products. Men were more likely to use plant leaves, kitchen leftovers, rice bran, and a broader mix of other inputs, often accessed through male networks. Differences were also evident across farming systems. Semi intensive earthen ponds relied on more purchased and diverse inputs, intensive systems focused on energy dense staples such as maize and cassava, and extensive systems drew heavily on locally available organic materials. Men were more commonly involved in applying plant leaves and chicken manure in these systems. Regression results show that gender remains significantly associated with the use of poultry waste and plant leaves, but not maize powder, suggesting that some differences are not fully explained by location or production system. Discussion – These findings point to feed practices as embedded in gendered divisions of labour and resource access rather than neutral technical choices. Women’s roles in cooking, managing household waste, and caring for backyard poultry provide regular access to organic by products that can be used as feed. Men’s greater control over land, cash, and mobility supports access to field based and market sourced inputs. This has practical implications for extension and advisory services, which need to recognise these differences rather than assume uniform practices. It also highlights the importance of monitoring how changes in feed practices affect women’s time use, decision making, and control over income.
Keywords
affordable fish feed ingredients, fish feed ingredient preferences, gender differences, Kenya, novel ingredients
Recommended Citation
Drucza, K., Ganguly, S., Yossa, R., & Tanga, C. (2026). Gendered analysis of fish feed ingredients and sourcing practices in Western Kenya’s aquaculture. Frontiers in Aquaculture, 5 https://doi.org/10.3389/faquc.2026.1679712
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.