Institute of Continuing Education - ICE

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Browsing Institute of Continuing Education - ICE by Author "Kanjanja Sauda M."

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    Contribution of agroecological practices to household food availability: a case study of Singida District
    (Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2024-06-15) Kanjanja Sauda M.; Mosha Devotha B.; Haule Sylvester C.
    Globally, there are urgent calls for transformation of agriculture and food systems to address food unavailability, food insecurity and environmental challenges. Agroecological practices have been promoted as one of the solutions, which have potential to address these challenges. Nonetheless, there is limited evidence regarding the question whether agroecology can indeed enhance food availability among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzania inclusive. Thus, the study was conducted to examines how the implementation of agroecological practices contribute to achieving food availability at household level by comparing between farmers who are members of Farmer Research Network (FRN) (implementers) and non-FRN farmers (non-implementers) using a case of Singida district. The study employed a cross-sectional research design, and an integration of both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. Interviews involved a total of 160 respondents who were randomly selected from household sampling frameworks. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews were conducted to gather complementary data. On one hand, quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software whereby descriptive statistics and an inferential statistic (multiple linear regression) were determined. On the other hand, qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings revealed, more than half (68%) and 15% of FRN farmers were in the medium and high categories of implementation of agroecological practices, contrary to non-FRN farmers, the majority (76%) were in low and none in high categories respectively. Based on alaysed data, the most common applied practices by both FRN and non-FRN farmers were: (i) the use of organic fertilizers (farm yard manure and compost manure (96%); (ii) intercropping (88%); (iii) crop rotation (82%); and integration of crop and livestock (79%). In addition, results indicate a significant association between the level of implementation of agroecological practices and food availability (p-value = 0.000). FRNs’ farmers were food secure as compared to non-FRN farmers just due to campaign and capacity building training offered to them. There is a need for a capacity development program to speed up agroecological intensification for sustainable food systems. Thus, it is very essential for public and private organizations to develop capacity building strategies or programmes to impart farmers with knowledge and skills on agroecological revolution.
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    Determinants of the implementation of agroecological practices among smallholder farmers in Singida District, Tanzania
    (European Open Science, 2022) Kanjanja Sauda M.; Mosha Devotha B.; Haule Sylvester C.
    Agroecological farming is considered to be among the suitable approach toward sustainable food systems and environmental conservation. Characteristically agroecology is at a low cost as it does not depend on expensive external inputs. Similar to other forms of more sustainable agriculture, implementation of its practices is generally low. There is scant information regarding the causes for its low implementation. This paper, therefore, looks into the determinants of the implementation of agroecological practices among smallholder farmers in Singida District, Tanzania. Specifically, the study uses data from the household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informants’ interviews. The study employed both descriptive and inferential analysis to establish determinants of the adoption of agroecological practices. A multiple linear regression model was employed to analyze the factors for the decision to use agroecological practices, using cross-sectional data from 160 randomly selected households. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study findings indicate that the dominant agroecological practices are the application of organic fertilizers (such as farm yard manure, composite and green manure), intercropping, and crop rotation. The results, also show income, education level of the household head, distance from homestead to the farm, training on agroecology, and land ownership was found to be associated with the implementation decision of agroecological practices by farming households. Besides, about 75% of farmers who decide to implement agroecology practices were those who had access to training support from FRN project. Based on the study findings, The Government and other stakeholders should insist more on improving training services to increase the implementation of agroecological practices. Also, the study recommends diversification of income sources on the farmers’ side by engaging in both on-farm and offfarm activities such as petty business to increase income which in turn will enable them to invest in the implementation of agroecology practices.
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    Farmers’ perceptions towards the implementation of agroecological practices for enhancing food availability in Singida Rural District
    (Academic Journals, 2023-11-09) Kanjanja Sauda M.; Mosha Devotha Baltazary
    This paper delves into the global drive to promote agroecological practices, which have been widely acknowledged for their diverse economic, social, and environmental benefits. Yet, a critical gap persists in our understanding on the impact of these practices on food availability from the perspective of farmers. Our study focuses on farmers' perceptions regarding the role of agroecological practices in enhancing food availability within Singida Rural District in Tanzania. To explore this understudied terrain, we conducted a comprehensive questionnaire survey involving 160 farming households drawn randomly from four villages. Employing a Likert scale methodology, we meticulously assessed farmers' perspectives on the implementation of various agroecological practices. Strikingly, a significant majority (64%) of respondents unequivocally recognized the pivotal contribution of agroecological practices to enhance household food availability. Nonetheless, a nuanced dichotomy emerged, nearly half of the participants (53%) expressed reservations about the perceived ease of integrating agroecological practices. This hesitancy was attributed to the challenges and labor-intensive nature associated with implementation of certain agroecology techniques. Encouragingly, our findings highlight the potential of collective efforts in mitigating labor-related concerns. In light of these insights, we advocate for targeted interventions by local government entities and agroecology stakeholders; by facilitating farmers' access to essential knowledge, skills, and resources, we can catalyze the transformative journey toward agroecology. This shift holds the promise of fostering a more sustainable food system that resonates with the needs of both present and future generations.