“There Is No Cultivable Land Here”: Food Security and the Politics of Coral Rag Cultivation in Jibondo Island, Tanzania

Abstract

Jibondo Island is widely known as the most disadvantaged area in Mafia Island, Tanzania, where there is virtually no cultivable soil. The Island is mainly covered by coral rag, which has tended to serve as a dominant factor for explaining the seemingly absence of crop production in the area. Evidence suggests that most people in Jibondo are often food insecure than people in other villages which have conducive soils for crop production. This article employs a range of qualitative methods to analyze the narratives of various actors about food production in Jibondo. It is argued that while actors have tended to blame coral rag for constraining crop production, they must recognize and respond to other social-ecological factors to understand why crop production is problematic in the area. It is further argued that it is necessary to consider how changes in livelihood activities, land use changes, rainfall variability, soil erosion, changes in the marketing of fish and octopus as well as changes in various cultural traditions have also emerged as key constraining factors, which have often been overlooked. Furthermore, the article points out that it is necessary to show how different actors have contributed to the making and strengthening of coral rag-based explanations as a dominant narrative that continues to persist. The article concludes by pointing to the measures that are crucial for enhancing resilience of both food production and food security in changing social-ecological conditions.