From 9 March to 19 May 2026, the BRIGHT-Futures team (Bowy den Braber, Hannah Melcher, Hannah Uther, and Vivien Killer) conducted fieldwork in Siaya County, western Kenya, completing an intensive and rewarding campaign focused on smallholder maize–bean intercropping systems and their links to biodiversity, ecosystem processes, and farm management.
Across 32 farms, ecological sampling included insect pitfall trapping, bird acoustic recordings, soil coring, maize leaf sampling for water-use efficiency analyses, and vegetation surveys to assess tree diversity and abundance. These field days often involved early starts, long travel on rural roads, and close coordination with farming households who generously shared their land and time.
In parallel, 400 socio-economic surveys were conducted with farming households, covering everyday management practices, pest challenges (including fall armyworm), and the role of social networks in agricultural decision-making. These conversations provided valuable insights into both constraints and innovation within local farming systems.
While analyses are only just beginning, the fieldwork has already left a strong impression: the remarkable diversity of farming practices across the region and the resilience of farmers adapting to conditions following a severe drought.
The fieldwork was made possible through close collaboration with Kimani Joseph and John Mburu (University of Nairobi), MOURINE ONYANDO (Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, JOOUST), and colleagues at the Ndaloh Heritage Organization, with important support from Dennis Otieno (JOOUST).
The team is deeply grateful to local assistants Stephen, Richard, John, and Bernard for their constant support, local knowledge, and practical help throughout the campaign—this work would not have been possible without them.
Watch the video from the field campaign
