Legume CHOICE tool: A decision support framework for enhancing the contributions of legumes to farmer livelihoods Irene Okeyo, Ingrid Oborn ,ICRAF; Generose Nziguheba IITA; Tamene Temesgen, Duncan Alan, ILRI; Utility of the Legume CHOICE tool Legume CHOICE tool offers a systematic participatory framework for categorizing legume species, defining how they fulfil different livelihood functions and then matching appropriate legume types to widely varying farming contexts. The tool aids in making informed decisions with farmers, about which legume types and species would be most appropriate to meet their livelihood needs The simple concept underlying the tool is that varied legume types fulfill different functions within farms and that by matching legume types with the functions demanded by farmers, a sensible set of legume options can be tested and refined at farm level Introduction Legumes are very diverse in form and function and present multiple opportunities for beneficial human use Complexity surrounds how various species fit within different farming systems. The science community has been enthusiastic in promoting legumes among farmers but reality on the ground is that legume uptake is much lower than expected It is with this in mind that the Legume CHOICE decision support approach was developed Results and outputs Table 1: The prioritized list of legumes that may be recommended for use in smallholder farmers in Kitutu Chache North, Kenya. How the legumes fulfil functional needs is the product of expert scoring and participatory matrix scoring. From the list used Cajanus cajan is the best recommended legume in Kitutu. Primary legume functions - what this option provides (0-4), 4 high provision, 0 low provision How well this option fulfils functional needs Legume name Type Food Feed Income Erosion control Fuel Soil fertility   Score for functional fit Rank for functional fit Cajanus cajan Grain legume 4 2 3 1 11 6 29 Phaseolus vulgaris 5 25 Arachis hypogaea L. 8 26 Medicago sativa Herbaceous legume 7 21 10 Mucuna pruriens 15 12 Lablab purpureus Calliandra calothysus Tree legume Gliricidia sepium 19 Leucaena leucocephala Sesbania sesban Sesbania grandiflora Accacia angustissima How does it work? Who is the legacy product useful for? It can be used by government, NGO’s, research institutions and relevant organizations dealing with food security issues The tool is applicable in selecting legume species for sustainable intensification in smallholder farming systems: e.g. Maize CRP Pictures Key partners Key contacts Ingrid Oborn , ICRAF, P.O. Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. IOborn@cigar.org Duncan Alan, ILRI, P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, Kenya A.Duncan@cgiar.org This document is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License November 2016