Training transfer for sustainable agricultural intensification in Tanzania: critical considerations for scaling - up

Sustainable Intensification (SI) in agriculture is fronted as a promising approach to increase agricultural production in Sub-Saharan Africa countries. Technologies that can lead to realization of the SI goal are available but one of the key challenges is the low reach among smallholder farmers due to, among others, ineffective training and co-learning. In this study, a survey methodology was used to obtain data from 145 trainees in a sustainable intensification intervention in Kongwa and Mvomero districts, Tanzania, to analyze the drivers of training transfer. Hierarchical linear regression revealed that motivation of trainees, training design and delivery, and work environment (peer, extension and local institutional support) had positive effects on transfer of the training. For successful transfer of training, recommendations given were a deliberate focus on selection of suitable trainees and ensuring their motivation to learn; use of appropriate documentation, extension and training methods; strengthening farmers’ networks for peer learning; and strengthening collaborations with local institutions

Extrapolation suitability index for sustainable vegetable cultivation in Babati district, Tanzania.

Open Access JournalLand suitability assessment matches crop requirements with available resources to promote sustainable production. Scaling out of sustainable agricultural intensification practices to suitable biophysical and socio-economic conditions reduces the risk of failure and increases their adoption rate. This study applies a geospatial framework to identify potentially suitable sites for extrapolating two improved vegetable cultivars grown under integrated management practices (IMP’s) in Babati District of Tanzania. On-farm trial data on the yield and income of two cultivars were used as a reference. Extrapolation was based on the gridded biophysical and socio-economic layers that limit the production of the two improved vegetable cultivars’. The extrapolation suitability index (ESI) showed the areas where cultivation of the two improved vegetable cultivars under IMP’s can be scaled-out with a potentially low risk of failure. We generate maps of the most important limiting factor for each cultivar in every pixel to guide the spatial targeting of appropriate remedial measures. Application of these maps will promote evidence-based scaling out of improved vegetable technologies by the extension and development agencies

Assessment of land degradation in semiarid Tanzania using multiscale remote sensing datasets to support sustainable development goal 15.3

Open Access Journal; Published online: 30 Apr 2021Monitoring land degradation (LD) to improve the measurement of the sustainable development goal (SDG) 15.3.1 indicator (“proportion of land that is degraded over a total land area”) is key to ensure a more sustainable future. Current frameworks rely on default medium-resolution remote sensing datasets available to assess LD and cannot identify subtle changes at the sub-national scale. This study is the first to adapt local datasets in interplay with high-resolution imagery to monitor the extent of LD in the semiarid Kiteto and Kongwa (KK) districts of Tanzania from 2000–2019. It incorporates freely available datasets such as Landsat time series and customized land cover and uses open-source software and cloud-computing. Further, we compared our results of the LD assessment based on the adopted high-resolution data and methodology (AM) with the default medium-resolution data and methodology (DM) suggested by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. According to AM, 16% of the area in KK districts was degraded during 2000–2015, whereas DM revealed total LD on 70% of the area. Furthermore, based on the AM, overall, 27% of the land was degraded from 2000–2019. To achieve LD neutrality until 2030, spatial planning should focus on hotspot areas and implement sustainable land management practices based on these fine resolution results

Mediation and moderation roles of resilience capacity in the shock–food-security nexus in northern Ghana

Open Access ArticleThis paper examines how resilience capacity mediates or moderates the relationship between weather shocks and household food security based on two waves of farm household survey and satellite-based weather data in northern Ghana and applying econometric models. Results show that resilience capacity moderate or mediates the negative effects of heat stress and drought on food security. However, the mediating role of resilience capacity in the shock-food security nexus is more stable and stronger than its moderating role. A standard deviation (SD) increase in heat stress reduces household food consumption by 0.71 SD, but resilience capacity effectively moderates this effect by approximately 0.61 SD. For drought, household food consumption is reduced by 0.67 SD, but resilience capacity effectively dampens this negative effect by approximately 0.60 SD. The mediation results, on the other hand, indicate that 537% of the total effect of heat stress on household calorie consumption is explained by the indirect effect through resilience capacity. Similarly, resilience capacity mediates about 74% of the total effect of heat stress on household food consumption. These results suggest that strategies that help improve resilience capacity, such as the adoption of sustainable intensification practices, are critical in enhancing food security in northern Ghana

The income and food security impacts of soil and water conservation technologies in Tanzania

Open Access JournalSoil and water conservation technologies are critical in reducing drought and soil erosion risks and increasing crop yields and incomes. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence on the extent and impacts of adopting soil and water conservation technologies in Tanzania. The study’s objective is to evaluate the adoption (as well as the duration of adoption) and the impacts of soil and water conservation technologies on income and food security in Tanzania. The study employs a control function approach and the instrumental variable quantile treatment effects model to survey data from 575 households to estimate the average and distributional impacts of adoption. The results show that the adoption and duration of adopting soil and water conservation technologies had significant and positive effects on the total value of crop production and household income. Moreover, we find that the adoption and its duration had a significant and positive impact on the food security indicator—household dietary diversity. The results from the instrumental variable quantile treatment effects model also show that the impacts of adopting soil and water conservation technologies on the outcome variables are positive and significant, although they vary significantly across the income and food security distributions. The results indicate that even though adoption benefits households in both the lower and upper quantiles of the income and food security distributions, the marginal impacts of adoption are generally more significant for the households in the upper quantiles. The paper concludes by discussing the policy options for increasing and sustaining the adoption and impacts of soil and water conservation technologies in Tanzania