Effects of Stakeholders Involvement on Sustainability of Food Security Projects in Arid Lands, Kenya

Sustainable food projects are characterized by being able to create a community which is financially, technically and managerially self-sufficiency (FAO, 2019).Financial self -reliance implies that the community has ability to draw their own budgets for food security projects, they are able to sufficiently assemble their financial capitals, account for incomes received from food projects activities within their communities and can prepare financial reports for food projects.Moreover, technical self-reliance means ability of the community to identify community people in need of food and with food insecurity without external expertise.Managerial self-reliance indicate that community are able to identify food security needs, design food security projects, organize food security projects and effectively being in control of food security projects (FAO, 2019).According to Smith (2020) sustainability of food project can be measured in two ways including continuation deliveries of the project output or outcome and local actions which are stimulated by the project-built initiatives within the study area.He added that continued deliveries of the project output/ outcomes include change output and outcome of project three years after passing over to beneficiaries, current outputs from the projects, increased food supply, increased availability, accessibility and affordability of food within the region throughout the year.Moreover, in relation to local actions being stimulated by projects include issues such as the current economic activities as a result of intervention, activities for sustainable source of funding for project maintenance, community sale of produce to take care of other household needs, activities taken to reduce waste and loss, reduction of environmental pollution and reduced food related problems/ diseases as a result of the initiatives.Generally, these issues conclude that project sustainability can be in terms of economic, social and environmental.Abstract: Food security projects are created to accomplish the legislative goals of improving food access in low-income communities.They help develop proactive approaches for the welfare of low-income communities by creating their own comprehensive and sustainable food systems.In this regard, numerous food security projects have been initiated in most Kenyan Counties by both state and non-state prayers in Kenya.However, sustainability of food projects has been a challenge in the sense that some projects remain partially operational after the withdrawal of the main donor while others become defunct.This study therefore seeks to investigate the influence of stakeholder engagement on the sustainability food security projects in arid lands, Kenya.The study is anchored on stakeholder theory.Positivist philosophy is deemed appropriate for this study.Cross-sectional descriptive survey will be used.The study target 413 food security projects implemented by UN Agencies within 8 Counties in Arid Lands in Kenya with a sample of 203 food security projects.Stratified sampling will be used and primary data will be collected using self-administered questionnaire.Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation will be computed to explain the characteristics of the distribution.Correlation analysis and standard multiple regression models will assist to assess the degree of relationship between the study variables.This study will be of significant to ministry of agriculture in enacting policies for sustainable food security; project donors and sponsors in accessing critical information on practices for sustainable of future food projects; relevant UN agencies would obtain information which will help to shape the future of their projects by understanding key issues to be addressed to promote their unsustainability; and finally the study is expected to immensely contribute to literature for use by future researchers and form a base for discussion in the area of project sustainability.