Sugarcane Cultivation and Its Impacts on Biophysical Environment and Livelihoods in Mumias Sugar Belt, Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract This research assessed the impacts of sugarcane cultivation on biophysical environment and community livelihoods in Mumias Sugar Belt (MSB). This was to establish the spatial-temporal pattern of land use and land cover (LULC) and their impacts. Geospatial analysis using GIS and remote sensing quantified spatial–temporal changes in LULC between 2016 and 2023 and the impact of the changes on biophysical environment (LULC, road network, land productivity and biodiversity), and community livelihoods, while socio-economic surveys captured household-level responses to land use dynamics. Six land use classes: sugarcane, annual cropland, forestland, grassland, wetland, and other land were identified, and stratified random sampling of 300 ground-truth points supported both spatial validation and socio-economic data collection. Results indicated that sugarcane remained dominant but declined from 71% of total land area in 2016 to 61% in 2023. Conversions from sugarcane to grassland (9,976 ha), annual cropland (4,929 ha), forestland (4,535 ha), and other land (4,917 ha) were significant. The road network expanded from 881 km to 1,175 km over the same period, enhancing accessibility but also accelerating land fragmentation. Socio-economic analysis revealed that population growth and rising sugarcane production costs have driven land subdivision, reducing average cane farm sizes and diminishing economies of scale. These findings highlight the double challenge of sustaining sugarcane productivity while preserving ecological integrity. The study therefore recommends a policy to regulate land subdivision in agricultural zones and promote sustainable practices such as crop rotation to restore land productivity and maintain the long-term viability of sugarcane farming system.