In the face of a changing climate, Dr. Rebecca Jerop is not just sowing seeds; she is reviving wisdom, resilience, and hope, one ancient grain at a time.
By Ethical Business Feature Desk
On the dusty plains of Laikipia, where rain is increasingly scarce and maize yields have steadily declined, Dr. Rebecca Jerop sees something else growing – hope. Not in high-tech solutions or expensive imports, but in an ancient grain that once fed generations: finger millet.
As a child in rural Kenya, Jerop remembers finger millet as a staple food in her village – served to pregnant women and young children, treasured for its strength-giving nutrients. But like many traditional crops, it was pushed aside over time. Maize took its place, promising higher yields and easier cultivation. That promise, however, has proven short-lived.
Today, as climate change tightens its grip on Kenya’s arid lands, Jerop, an agricultural economist and lecturer at Laikipia University, is championing the return of this resilient grain—not as nostalgia, but as a strategic pivot for Kenya’s food system.
“Maize became less productive in this region over time because of climate change,” she explains.
“It wasn’t resilient to drought, so the crop could be wiped out and farmers would have nothing.”
Reclaiming the past to protect the future
Finger millet is not just another crop; it is a climate ally. Thriving in dry conditions, requiring minimal land, and packed with nutrients like calcium and iron, it offers a lifeline to farmers with shrinking plots and unpredictable rainfall. Unlike maize, which demands large acreage and heavy fertilizer inputs that acidify soil, finger millet fits neatly into Kenya’s new agricultural reality.
“In Kenya, the largest plots of land in most places are just 0.2 or 0.3 hectares,” Jerop notes.
“Finger millet doesn’t need much space. It’s a short-season crop, so you can grow two or even three crops per year.”
For smallholder farmers, it’s an elegant solution to a complex problem: how to feed their families, protect the soil, and still make a living.
Economics meets indigenous knowledge
Jerop is not merely advocating for tradition; she is putting it to the test. As an economist, her lens is data-driven. She studies soil conservation strategies, seed adoption rates, and commercialisation trends to understand what truly works for smallholder farmers.
“I believe these underutilised crops are very good crops, and I want to figure out how we can get them back to farmers,” she says.
Her work evaluates which innovations increase yields, whether farmers are adopting improved finger millet varieties, and if marketing efforts are enabling them to sell for profit – not just subsist. The shift from subsistence to commercialisation, she argues, is critical for long-term success.
“If the farmers get income from these crops, they can continue embracing them.”
Challenges in the comeback journey
Despite finger millet’s promise, reviving it is no easy task. Jerop identifies several hurdles, starting with awareness.
“Farmers need to market this crop because it has a lot of benefits compared to maize. But consumer awareness is still low.”
Processing is another pain point. While maize enjoys established supply chains and ready buyers, finger millet lacks the same infrastructure. Training is also needed to help farmers maximize yields with minimal inputs, and to connect them to markets that value the grain’s nutritional and climate-resilient profile.
On the frontlines of change
If anyone is attuned to the shifting climate, it is the farmers. Jerop says they may not use the language of climate science, but they feel the effects in their bones – and their soils.
“They don’t need to be told about climate change; they know it from their experiences,” she says.
“They’re not sure when to plant, what to grow. That’s what they’re talking about.”
This uncertainty has led to experimentation, with more farmers incorporating short-season, drought-resistant crops like finger millet into their fields; not as a primary crop yet, but increasingly as a vital backup.
A vision rooted in resilience
Jerop’s long-term vision is both practical and profound: a Kenyan food system that is not only productive but also adaptive, sustainable, and nourished by its own heritage. At the heart of that vision is a grain that predates colonial agriculture and industrial hybrids; a grain that once fed empires and could now feed a nation facing a warming world.
“If we adopt this crop, we will have a more resilient food system,” she says.
“People are becoming more aware of the benefits of these underutilized crops. But it’s a slow process.”
Still, she is hopeful that with support for research, better markets, and more farmer education, crops like finger millet will move from the fringes back into the mainstream – where they belong.
Bringing back what worked
Jerop’s work is a powerful reminder that innovation doesn’t always mean inventing something new. Sometimes, it’s about remembering what worked – what sustained communities for generations – and reviving it for a new era of challenges.
In the face of climate upheaval, finger millet is not just a crop. It is a symbol of survival.
A seed of resilience.
And thanks to champions like Dr. Rebecca Jerop, it is making a comeback.
This story is part of our “Agri-Futures” series spotlighting climate-smart agriculture across East Africa.
