Crop Pollination in Small-Scale Agriculture in Tanzania: Household Dependence, Awareness and Conservation

Abstract

Global economic value of agriculture production resulting from animal pollination services has been estimated to be $235–$577 billion. This estimate is based on quantification of crops that are available at the global markets, and mainly originates from countries with precise information about quantities of agriculture production, exports, and imports. In contrast, knowledge about the contribution of pollinators to household food and income in small-scale farming at local and regional scales is still lacking, especially for developing countries where the availability of agricultural statistics is limited. Although the global decline in pollinator diversity and abundance has received much attention, relatively little effort has been directed towards understanding the role of pollinators in small-scale farming systems, which feed a substantial part of the world’s population. Here, we have assessed how local farmers in northern Tanzania depend on insect-pollinated crops for household food and income, and to what extent farmers are aware of the importance of insect pollinators and how they can conserve them. Our results show that local farmers in northern Tanzania derived their food and income from a wide range of crop plants, and that 67% of these crops depend on animal pollination to a moderate to essential degree. We also found that watermelon—for which pollination by insects is essential for yield—on average contributed nearly 25% of household income, and that watermelons were grown by 63% of the farmers. Our findings indicate that local farmers can increase their yields from animal pollinated crops by adopting more pollinator-friendly farming practices. Yet, we found that local farmers’ awareness of pollinators, and the ecosystem service they provide, was extremely low, and intentional actions to conserve or manage them were generally lacking. We therefore urge agriculture authorities in Tanzania to act to ensure that local farmers become aware of insect pollinators and their important role in agriculture production.

Insect pollination and sustainable agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Intensive agriculture threatens a number of cultural practices based on indigenous and local knowledge that facilitate sustainable agriculture in SSA (Sawe et al 2020). A large proportion of smallholders in SSA practice sustainable agriculture, with different varieties of food crops, often out of an inability to afford chemical agricultural inputs (Adenle et al 2019).…”

“…Better management of insect pollinators is one of the most cost-effective but infrequently considered ways to improve yields in small scale sustainable faming in SSA (Samnegård et al 2016;Elisante et al 2017;Tibesigwa et al 2019). Indeed, the underestimation by smallholders and government of the role played by insect pollinators is a key constraint to the sustainability of agricultural productivity in SSA (Tibesigwa et al 2019;Sawe et al 2020). There is need for policies that build and sustain robust agricultural systems in SSA that focus on ecosystem resilience and sustainability.…”

“…Promotion of pollination services significantly benefits agricultural productivity, food security, and the achievement of the UN's sustainable development goals (Boruff et al 2020;Sawe et al 2020). Three-quarters of leading global food crops rely on animal pollination from managed and wild pollinators (Winfree 2003).…”

“…The volume of production by pollinator-dependent crops has increased by 300% over the last five decades, making livelihoods increasingly dependent on the provision of pollination (Potts et al 2016a). As this cultivation of pollinator-dependent crops expands, so does the concern for the sustainability of pollination services (Aizen & Harder 2009;Knapp et al 2016), and the decline of many pollinator populations (Breeze et al 2014;Ollerton 2017;Sawe et al 2020).…”

“…These threats pose added risks to societies and ecosystems (Vanbergen & The Insect Pollinators Initiative 2013;Hall & Steiner 2019). For example, people living in SSA depend on the supply of ecosystem services (Egoh et al 2012;Tibesigwa 2018), but only over recent decades has it been realized that failing pollinator health is a dire threat to ecosystem services and agricultural productivity (Misganaw et al 2017;Sawe et al 2020). In this review we will cover the following topics from the overlooked perspective of sustainable agriculture in SSA: (1) importance of sustainable agriculture in SSA, (2) importance of pollination services and pollinator conservation in SSA, (3) current policies and initiatives for pollinator services and pollinator conservation, (4) pollinator management with agricultural practices in SSA, and (5) finally, we will propose key steps to be taken to promote sustainable pollination services in SSA through pollinator management.…”