Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security in Agroecological Zones of Tanzania

Mkonda, Msafiri Yusuph

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-73245-5_9

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…The land suitable for agriculture may also be suitable for conservation to support other ecological creatures therefore raising conflicting interests in land use (Mkonda, 2021). Protection of environmentally-sensitive areas, such as riverbeds or riverbanks is affected by farmers who consider such areas fertile and supportive of farming activities without taking precautionary measures of conserving the environment (Msuya & Kideghesho, 2012).…”

Section: Dynamic Challenges Of Agro-ecology Practice In Tanzaniamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If no specific policy exists, promotion of agroforestry and conservation agriculture becomes null and void (Msuya & Kideghesho, 2012;Jha et al, 2021). In most of rural areas in Tanzania, traditional farming systems such as shifting cultivation and monoculture partly contribute to agricultural productivity, however they are not environmentally friendly (Mkonda, 2021;Mbeyale and Mcharo, 2022). Agricultural productivity, conservation of environment and agroecological system depend on farming technologies that are accessible and effective for farmers to minimize land degradation through soil erosion while increasing production (Hong et al, 2018).…”

Section: Dynamic Challenges Of Agro-ecology Practice In Tanzaniamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluating Limitations of Agroecological Practices and Stakeholders’ Response: A Case of Uluguru Mountains Landscape in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Tryphone,

Thomas

2023

EAJSTI

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In Sub-Saharan Africa, conventional farming is associated with intensive use of synthetic chemicals and inputs to maximize agricultural productivity. This is done at the expense of sustainable agroecologically based production systems. This objective was to describe limitations of agroecological practices and stakeholders’ response along Mountain Uluguru. The area has been vulnerable to unregulated land degradation aggravated by soil erosion largely due to unsuitable agricultural practices. The data were collected through questionnaires and in-depth interviews from 72 respondents who were purposively selected. Both qualitative and quantitative data were analysed using content analysis and statistical software respectively. Farmers undertake agriculture to increase production so as to meet food needs (44.8%) and employment opportunities (55.2%). About 41.7% of farmers who had land with secure tenure grew fruit and non-fruit trees on their farms or homesteads, 11.7% rented the farming land temporarily from owners through informal arrangements and the rest squatted on public land for cultivation of vegetables. From SWOT analysis, agroforestry is threatened by unregulated agricultural activities (18.6%) and overuse of forest resources unsustainably (7.0%). The agroecology training is not coordinated and supported by government agencies, which have authority to inform the policy makers about insecure land tenure and unavailability of organic inputs that would increase farmers’ livelihoods. Agro-soil erosion control and conservation agriculture measures are essential features of agroecology training, but some farmers were not aware of them and those who are aware do not adopt them effectively. The study concludes that, without the government acknowledgement of agro-ecology and its associated contributions there will always be weak institutional coordination among stakeholders required to regulate, promote and support agro-ecology practices to create a balance of conserved environment, protected ecology and enhanced farmers’ livelihoods. This is because there is no clear national guidelines and support (financial and technical) addressing the challenges facing agro-ecology practice

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Section: Dynamic Challenges Of Agro-ecology Practice In Tanzaniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Dynamic Challenges Of Agro-ecology Practice In Tanzaniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Limitations of Agroecological Practices and Stakeholders’ Response: A Case of Uluguru Mountains Landscape in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Tryphone,

Thomas

2023

EAJSTI

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“…Manda et al (2018) contended that proper implementation of SAPs could significantly impact food availability by boosting agriculture productivity. Moreover, previous studies (Abenman et al, 2018;Manda et al, 2018;Mkonda, 2021;Setsofia et al, 2022), have empirically suggested that effectively managed SAPs have the potential to increase food production, alleviate food insecurity, and address nutrition deficiencies by enabling the sale of surplus crops to afford better quality foods.…”

Section: Linkage Between Saps Food Security Nutrition and Povertymentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Food Security, Nutrition, and Poverty among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Morogoro region, Tanzania

Mugula,

Ahmad,

Msinde

et al. 2023

AJERNET

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The study utilized data from the adoption pathway survey and utility maximization theory to examine the impacts of adopting multiple sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) on food security, nutrition, and poverty among smallholder maize farmers in the Morogoro region of Tanzania. The SAPs considered include manure, crop rotation, intercropping, crop residuals, and improved maize varieties. Using the endogenous treatment effect model, data collected from 470 farming households in Kilosa and Mvomero districts through a multi-stage sampling procedure were analyzed. Prior to data analysis, weak instrument and zero first-stage tests were employed to test the robustness and validity of the selected instruments, with results deemed satisfactory. The empirical findings indicate that the application of improved maize varieties, crop residual, and crop rotation had positive and significant impacts on the household’s food security and nutrition. Notably, the usage of improved maize varieties alone demonstrated positive and significant impacts on the poverty indicators, suggesting its potential to alleviate poverty among smallholder farmers. The study recommends the development of agricultural productivity enhancement programmes. These programmes should feature a precise targeting strategy aimed at food-insecure households and poor farming households, with the goal of eradicating hunger and nutrition deficiencies within these vulnerable groups. Furthermore, the poverty-alleviating impacts of SAPs, such as the application of improved maize varieties, are expected to grow with increased adoption. Consequently, it is crucial to prioritize significant investments in agriculture. Strengthening and improving maize seed systems becomes imperative, aiming to guarantee the availability and affordability of enhanced maize varieties for smallholder farmers in Tanzania. This step will facilitate wider adoption and contribute to poverty reduction among farming communities.

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“…Thus, to maximize production in a given environment, understanding the local variation of landscape characteristics and various crop requirements enables the optimization of production (Mujić & Ljuša, 2023). Agroecological zones (AEZs) have emerged as vital units for evaluating and assessing the physical and biological potential of natural resources for sustainable development planning (Greenland et al., 1997; Mkonda, 2021). Including the AEZ concept brings to attention the specific characteristics of a region and inherent production constraints that can be addressed using appropriate agricultural technologies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agronomic management response in maize (Zea maysL.) production across three agroecological zones of Kenya

Kipkulei,

Bellingrath‐Kimura,

Lana

et al. 2024

Agrosystems Geosci & Env

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Maize (Zea mays L.) productivity in Kenya has witnessed a decline attributed to the effects of climate change and biophysical constraints. The assessment of agronomic practices across agroecological zones (AEZs) is limited by inadequate data quality, hindering a precise evaluation of maize yield on a large scale. In this study, we employed the DSSAT‐CERES‐Maize crop model (where CERES is Crop Environment Resource Synthesis and DSSAT is Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer) to investigate the impacts of different agronomic practices on maize yield across different AEZs in two counties of Kenya. The model was calibrated and evaluated with observed grain yield, biomass, leaf area index, phenology, and soil water content from 2‐year experiments. Remote sensing (RS) images derived from the Sentinel‐2 satellite were integrated to delineate maize areas, and the resulting information was merged with DSSAT‐CERES‐Maize yield simulations. This facilitated a comprehensive quantification of various agronomic measures at pixel scales. Evaluation of agronomic measures revealed that sowing dates and cultivar types significantly influenced maize yield across the AEZs. Notably, AEZ II and AEZ III exhibited elevated yields when implementing combined practices of early sowing and cultivar H614. The impacts of optimal management practices varied across the AEZs, resulting in yield increases of 81, 115, and 202 kg ha−1 in AEZ I, AEZ II, and AEZ III, respectively. This study underscores the potential of the CERES‐Maize model and high‐resolution RS data in estimating production at larger scales. Furthermore, this integrated approach holds promise for supporting agricultural decision‐making and designing optimal strategies to enhance productivity while accounting for site‐specific conditions.

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Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security in Agroecological Zones of Tanzania

Cited by 7 publications

References 65 publications

Evaluating Limitations of Agroecological Practices and Stakeholders’ Response: A Case of Uluguru Mountains Landscape in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Evaluating Limitations of Agroecological Practices and Stakeholders’ Response: A Case of Uluguru Mountains Landscape in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Impacts of Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Food Security, Nutrition, and Poverty among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Morogoro region, Tanzania

Agronomic management response in maize (Zea maysL.) production across three agroecological zones of Kenya

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