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About three out of every four income-earners in Tanzania are small-scale farmers and
food insecurity remains a chronic problem for many of them. Around 48% of
households in rural areas were either moderately or severely food energy deficient in
2011 and 39% of rural children under 5 years were stunted in 2013. To improve food
security in Tanzania, it is important to understand the existing farming systems and
their relationship with household food security. This study was conducted in two
distinctly different agro-ecological zones of Tanzania, namely Kishapu and Mvomero
Districts, to determine the main factors which influence farm households’ choice of
farming systems and how these associate with food security. Data were collected
during both pre- and post-harvest seasons in 2014 from 506 farm households, and
augmented with market surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussions.
Four main farming systems were identified based on: crops cultivated; degree of market
orientation for particular crops; and the number of livestock units owned. Household
food security status was measured and a combination of Expected Utility Theory and
Theory of Planned Behaviour used to analyse the factors associated with household
choice of farming system. The study found that households which diversified their
income sources through off-farm activities were more likely to have better food access
in the lean (pre-harvest) periods. The factors influencing decisions on farming systems
were related to the household size, farming context and farm characteristics. In the
semi-arid and remote areas of Kishapu, larger households were more likely to choose a
Mixed Crop and Livestock farming system, indicating that larger family size ensured
the supply of needed labour for both livestock keeping and cropping activities. In the
higher rainfall and more accessible district of Mvomero, households were more likely
to practice a Single Food Crop farming system and were compelled to seek out off-farm
work. The study recommends that strategies to improve food security in rural areas
should attempt to: enhance income from farming, promote off-farm income generating
activities, and promote behavioural change communication on what is culturally
regarded as food in the study area. |
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