Welcome to SUAIRE
Sokoine University of Agriculture Institutional Repository (SUA IR). This repository was built and is maintained by the university library (Sokoine National Agricultural Library-SNAL) , in order to collect, preserve and disseminate scholarly output generated by University research community (staff and students) members.
This repository hosts a variety of openly accessible materials including: scholarly articles and books, theses and dissertations, conference proceedings and technical reports. For assistance about depositing your research output in the repository click here. SUA IR Policy click here or any queries contact us at snal@sua.ac.tz.
Communities in SUAIRE
Select a community to browse its collections.
- The Agroforesty Community is a collaborative network dedicated to advancing sustainable land-use practices that integrate trees, crops, and livestock. It serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, research dissemination, and practical innovations in Agroforestry. By fostering connections among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and local communities, the Agroforestry Community promotes environmental conservation, enhanced agricultural productivity, and resilient livelihoods.
Recent Submissions
The legal framework for protecting social security rights of the elderly in Tanzania
(Journal of Policy and Leadership (JPL), 2025-09-30) Temba, Ferdinand Marcel
The right to social security is crucial for ensuring social justice, particularly for the elderly who are at heightened risk of poverty. This study examines the legal framework for social security in Tanzania, using doctrinal research to analyse relevant national laws and policies. It begins by outlining the importance of social security and assessing global and regional instruments that protect these rights. The findings reveal that while the Constitution outlines fundamental rights, it does not establish an enforceable right to social security for the elderly. The study highlights the challenges facing universal pension programs, such as the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) and the Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN). Key issues includeenforcement difficulties, insufficient resource allocation, and social exclusion. To address these challenges, the study recommends the development of a comprehensive legal framework that reinforces compliance with international norms and enhances administrative capabilities. Furthermore, it suggests legal reforms aimed at expanding coverage and improving access to social security for the elderly, emphasising the need to tackle issues of inequality and poverty. The analysis incorporates international instruments, such as the ILO Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention and the SADC Social Charter, to examine Tanzania's adherence to these standards. By advocating for policy improvements and legal reforms, the study contributes valuable insights into strengthening social security rights for the elderly in Tanzania, thereby promoting social inclusion and reducing poverty.
The right to regulate in natural wealth and resources in Tanzania: challenges and prospects
(Journal of International Trade, Logistics and Law, 2023-06-01) Kitonka, Naufal; Temba, Ferdinand Marcel
This article examines the right to regulate in Tanzania amidst legal reforms in natural wealth and resources done in 2017. The right to regulate seeks to balance investor’s economic interests in investment protection with host states’ interests in pursuing public policy objectives such as environmental protection and human rights (distributive justice). Achieving this delicate balance, however, is quite tricky. Whilst these reforms elevated the right to regulate to new lights, they equally exposed Tanzania to new investment arbitration claims. This article has reviewed related literature, statutes and case laws and observed that regulatory measures taken in pursuance of these reforms may be at odds with investment treaty standards and commitments entered by Tanzania in investment treaties. The article reveals that majority of bilateral investment treaties entered by Tanzania do not contain provisions recognizing or implicating right of states to regulate. In essence, this contradicts legal reforms done in 2017. It is, therefore, recommended that Tanzania should review investment treaties so that they also reflect the right of states to regulate. By complementing efforts done under domestic investment laws, this will help to safeguard the right of state to regulate.
Trade union formation and collective bargaining in Tanzania: legal framework, challenges and prospects
(Journal of African Law and Contemporary Legal Issues, 2025) Temba, Ferdinand
Trade unions are essential in upholding workers’ rights,supporting equitable pay, and improving working standards through collective bargaining. This article discusses the legal position on trade union formation and collective bargaining in Tanzania, as outlined in the Employment and Labour Relations Act, Cap 366 R.E. 2019 (ELRA). It also reflects global and regional frameworks on trade union recognition and collective bargaining. It explores the processes involved in forming trade unions, their recognition as exclusive bargaining agents, withdrawal of recognition, and the power to enter into an agency shop agreement to deduct agency fees from non-members of a recognised trade union. The article further addresses key challenges facing trade unions, including employers’ refusal to recognise trade unions, fragmentation of unions caused by multiple unions in a single bargaining unit, and opportunities to enhance labour representation and policy influence. It submits that legal and institutional efforts to address these challenges and balance the available opportunities will provide a fair platform for trade unions to exercise collective bargaining as part of their role in fostering working conditions and realising an equitable and just labour market in Tanzania.
Enforcing the right to health through courts in Tanzania: challenges and prospects
(Journal of Contemporary African Legal Studies (JCALS), 2025) Temba, Ferdinand M.
The right to health is recognized as a fundamental human right within international, regional, and domestic legal frameworks. This article explores its judicial enforcement in Tanzania using a doctrinal legal methodology that analyses statutory provisions and case law. It challenges the view that socio-economic rights are non- justiciable, affirming that the right to health is a universally
applicable entitlement that can be subject to immediate enforcement. The article identifies factors for effective enforcement, including political legitimacy, judicial capacity, and legal expertise.
Major challenges include the lack of express constitutional protection of the right to health, resource constraints, and partial alignment with international legal obligations. Nevertheless, the study underscores underlying prospects such as the progressive interpretation of the right to health through the constitutional guarantee of the right to life under Article 14, and the adoption of
legal, policy, and institutional reforms, which promote better health outcomes in Tanzania.
Contribution of organic cotton production to household income relative to conventional cotton production in Bariadi District, Tanzania
(East African Nature and Science Organization (EANSO), 2025-08-08) Said Castory Masanja; Nsenga Justus Vicent; Kayunze Kim Abel
This paper determines the percentage of household income that is due to
organic cotton production and differences in incomes from organic cotton
production, conventional cotton, other crops, and non-farm activities among
smallholder farmers in Bariadi District, Simiyu Region, Tanzania. Using a
mixed-methods cross-sectional design, primary data were collected in 2025
from 364 households through a structured questionnaire, key informant
interviews, and focus group discussions (FGDs). Quantitative data were
analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics to compute descriptive statistics and
perform the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, while qualitative data were analysed
thematically through content analysis. The results indicated that organic cotton
contributed 11.7% to overall income per capita, unlike conventional cotton,
which contributed 9.4%. The median income per capita from organic cotton
(TZS 23,964.29) was significantly higher than that from conventional cotton
(TZS 0.00) (T = 23,617.50, z = -4.706, p < 0.001, r = 0.247), suggesting that
organic cotton provided more reliable and profitable income than conventional
cotton. Income from conventional cotton was either absent or minimal for
many households, largely due to market instability and input costs. Qualitative
findings reinforced the quantitative results by revealing that farmers perceive
organic cotton production as more rewarding due to improved access to
premium markets, price stability through contractual arrangements, reduced
input costs, and alignment with environmentally sustainable practices.
Respondents emphasised that organic farming not only enhances income but
also promotes soil health and long-term agricultural resilience. These findings
highlight organic cotton’s potential as a transformative livelihood strategy
capable of reducing rural poverty, enhancing household economic resilience,
and contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), particularly those related to no poverty, decent work, and climate
action. To maximise these benefits, policy interventions should prioritise
strengthening organic certification systems, enhancing extension services, and
improving market linkages.