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Paper short abstract

Kenya’s potato farmers face climate shocks yet stick to Shangi despite 50+ resilient varieties. Farmers want yield, market access, and taste, not just resilience. Policymakers and breeders must align breeding with farmer priorities and strengthen AKIS to secure food systems under climate stress

Paper long abstract

Potato farming in Kenya faces severe climate challenges including erratic rainfall, prolonged drought, rising temperatures and increasing pest and disease outbreak. These threats undermine food security and rural livelihood as potato is the country's second most important crop after maize. While over fifty climate resilient potato varieties have been released, adoption remain low. This study based on household survey and focused group discussions in Nakuru and Nyandarua regions, Kenya, unpacks the paradox. farmers widely perceive climate risks, yet their adaptation strategies focus on early maturing varieties, crop rotations and intensive chemical use rather than embracing new climate potato varieties. Shangi, a long serving variety though susceptible to diseases, dominates the farmers' choice. Farmers prioritize yield, market demand and stew quality over drought and heat tolerance. revealing disconnect between breeding and farmer choices. Econometric analysis shows that technical support from research institutes and NGOs boosts uptakes of new varieties while advice from buyers and Agricultural Training Centres correlate negatively, signalling systemic gaps in Kenya Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation system (AKIS). socio-economic factors such as marital status, income source, radio ownership, market distance further shape adoption decisions. The findings highlights that climate resilience alone do not drive adoption. Breading programs must integrate farmer preferred traits, leverage trusted informal networks and strengthen AKIS coordination. For development practitioners, these means aligning innovations with local priorities and market realities to secure food systems under climate stress