| dc.description.abstract | This research explored the adoption of circular economy practices within Agri-Value Chains
in Kenya under varying external factors, a critical step towards enhancing sustainability,
efficiency, and resilience in agriculture. The primary objectives were to assess the level of
circular economy practices integration, identify barriers to its adoption, and evaluate its effect
on Agri-Value Chain performance. The target population includes publicly listed agricultural
firms, stakeholders such as farmers, agribusinesses, policymakers, and civil society
organizations. The study adopted descriptive design to delve into the adoption of circular
economy practices within Agri-Value Chains. The study targeted 438 respondents including
403 farming groups and 35 ministry and development partner key informants. A total of 209
respondents pre-determined using Yamanes formula were selected using stratified random
sampling. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The relationship
between variables was established using multiple linear equation modelling. The product
development demonstrated a beta coefficient that was statistically significant. In light of these
findings, it can be inferred that, assuming all other independent variables remain constant,
enhancing product development will lead to an improvement in the performance of
agricultural value chains in Kenya. The circular supplies exhibited a robust and statistically
significant relationship with the efficacy of agricultural value chains in Kenya. Furthermore,
circular supplies exhibited a significant beta coefficient. This led to the conclusion that
enhanced circular supplies would correlate with an improvement in the performance of
agricultural value chains in Kenya. The beta coefficient for product life extension was
observed to be both positive and significant. This culminated in the conclusion that extending
product life may enhance the performance of agricultural value chains in Kenya. The results
suggest that the beta value associated with product recovery was not statistically significant.
This study determined that variations in product recovery, whether improvement or decline,
would not lead to any significant alteration in the performance of agricultural value chains in
Kenya. Of the four variables—product development, circular supplies, product life
extension, and product recovery—Product life extension exhibited the most profound
influence on the performance of agricultural value chains in Kenya. This study indicates that
agricultural firms in Kenya ought to prioritize the extension of their product lifespan, as this
approach is anticipated to improve their profitability. The analysis revealed that product
recovery exerted a minimal influence on the performance of agricultural value chains in
Kenya. Considering these findings, this study advises agricultural firms in Kenya to exercise
prudence in allocating substantial resources to product recovery, as such investments may
yield limited returns. The results demonstrate that product development, circular supplies,
product life extension, and product recovery constitute 69.1% of the performance metrics
within agricultural value chains in Kenya. The residual 29.1% can be ascribed to additional
variables that were not encompassed within the scope of this study. This indicates the
imperative of pursuing additional research that integrates various variables to uncover further
elements influencing the efficacy of agricultural value chains in Kenya. | en_US |
