Paper short abstract:

Kenyan smallholder flower farmers lack agency in the diversity of paths taken to restrictive export markets. Depending on capabilities and institutional support the paper poses downgrading, strategic diversification and the use of e-commerce to regional markets for their sustainable participation.

Paper long abstract:

In the past decade, the sustainability of Kenyan smallholder flower farmers' production and indeed their survival has been precarious (Mather, 2008; Mytelka, 2009; Bolo, 2010). Dominated by large players in a liberalised environment, it has been dependent on the benevolence of 'ethical agents' (Dolan, 2007; IIED, 2012) and various multi-stakeholder processes (Dolan & Opondo, 2005) to negotiate international codes and certifications for export market access, supply 'development' finance and develop traceability mechanisms. Smallholders' market access is restricted and where attained, it is on the terms of and through the mediation of northern actors.

Based on findings from field work in Kenya, the paper will highlight the diversity of paths to local and international markets that have contributed to the sustainability of smallholders. The paper will highlight variations of capacity building partnerships between farmers and exporting agents as well as increased policy visibility and institutional support at the county level as a result of the devolution process. The paper will selectively propose strategic diversification (Barrientos et. al, 2015), downgrading (Ponte & Ewert, 2009; Blazˇek, 2015) and e-commerce as alternatives where smallholders can position themselves as niche suppliers to the regionally expanding supermarket chains (Reardon, et.al, 2003) such as Nakumatt, Game and Carrefour to meet the evolving middle, upper class and corporate preferences. By posing this challenge to the asymmetry of power in global export markets, smallholders can become agents of their own sustainability and co-creators of a more relational flower value chain.