Community-based approaches to support the anchoring of climate-smart agriculture in Tanzania

Abstract

We assess the impact of community-based approaches to promote adoption of integrated climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices based on soybean cultivation combined with mulching, intercropping, crop rotation, manure application and rhizobium inoculation methods. We use quasi-experimental data of farmers participating in Farmer Field Business Schools (FFBS) and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in Iringa region of Tanzania. Farmers received technical training and financial support for the initial adoption of soybean production, and women's empowerment supported household's continuous involvement in CSA practices. We find a positive effect for farmers participating in the trainings provided by the FFBSs and receiving microfinance services from VLSA members on the adoption rates of several CSA practices, and this effect became more pronounced for households with higher scores on women empowerment. Farm-level improvement in soybean production and market-level incentives for soybean sales should also strengthen household income, consumption and nutrition levels to maintain CSA practices. Community-based platforms create critical external conditions for introducing CSA practices, but women's empowerment is indispensable for intrinsic incentives for anchoring their adoption.

Topic modeling analysis of Community Savings Groups: evidence from the combined literature

“…Topic two constitutes the importance of the gender approach in the study of CSGs, since the word "woman" has the highest Beta value in the graph. Several works found that CSGs empower women (Karlan et al, 2017;Pamuk et al, 2022). The CSGs constitute a mechanism that trains women on various topics.…”

“…The fifth topic is the participation and impact of the CSG in the agricultural sector and it is taken into consideration because the projects are usually implemented in predominantly agricultural territories. Pamuk et al (2022) concluded that CSGs positively affect the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices. Amponsah et al (2023) found that participation in CSGs significantly increased the agricultural productivity and income of the participants.…”

Distributional impact of climate-smart villages on access to savings and credit and adoption of improved climate-smart agricultural practices in the Nyando Basin, Kenya

“…The CSV approach-including its savings and credit component-builds on local social capital, through the CBOs and their member groups, with a high degree of women membership, and the potential to reach poorer farmers. For example, Pamuk et al (2022) estimated a positive effect on the adoption rates of several CSA practices for farmers receiving microfinance services (and trainings) from CBOs, and this effect became more pronounced for households with higher scores on women empowerment. As the inclusion of CBOs is a key element in intervention models that promote the inclusiveness of agricultural innovations (Hoffecker 2021;Pamuk et al 2022), we could expect a positive effect on the distributional patterns of CSA adoption.…”

“…For example, Pamuk et al (2022) estimated a positive effect on the adoption rates of several CSA practices for farmers receiving microfinance services (and trainings) from CBOs, and this effect became more pronounced for households with higher scores on women empowerment. As the inclusion of CBOs is a key element in intervention models that promote the inclusiveness of agricultural innovations (Hoffecker 2021;Pamuk et al 2022), we could expect a positive effect on the distributional patterns of CSA adoption. However, the previous literature has paid little attention to the distributional impact of the CSV approach and improved access to savings and credit.…”

Challenges Facing Women’s Who are Participating in Village Community Bank in Mbarali District

“…Groups usually have 30-50 members and are governed by a strict set of rules, either written or unwritten, depending on the group's literacy. Breaching the rules is considered "taboo" and comes with social repercussions and possible financial penalties or ostracism" [12,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21].…”