Browsing by Author "Msoka, E."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring alternatives for livestock production in Lushoto, Tanzania: Playing the Transformation Game
    (2018-09) Pfeifer, C.; Morris, J.; Soka, G.; Moses, E. A.; Mkiramweni, N. P.; Omari, A.; Msoka, E.; Kahamba, J. S.; Sengelela, M. L.; Mdoembazi, H.; Massawe, B. H. J.; Mahimbo, O.
    This report presents the design for and preliminary results from the second ResLeSS workshop in Tanzania. The workshop is focused around the development of socio-economic indicators that are shared between stakeholders, and a “Transformation Game” that engages stakeholders in scenario development and assessment focused on the CLEANED environmental impact simulation tool. This approach enabled participants to engage with the knowledge about higher-yielding dairy production and an opportunity to plan for the future. An explicit focus on equity, through the design of the workshops and Game, and the treatment of economic indicators that encompass wider perceptions of value than finance alone, helped ensure that dialogue was able to emerge rooted in an appreciation of the different perspectives held by stakeholders. The Game opened a space for discussion that has yielded important insights for future development planning and was valued by the workshop participants. Participant feedback makes clear that the workshop developed new knowledge and achieved the objective of creating an opportunity for joint learning - participants welcomed the opportunity to plan for the future and to be challenged on what is feasible in the future. The workshop revealed a shared desire among stakeholders for livestock livelihoods to provide an improved standard of living and wellbeing, and a shared appreciation that improved feed and animal management coupled with shifting to higher-producing breeds can double milk production. There were different opinions on how much to change – “he who dares wins” pitted against a more cautious approach recognising that many in Lushoto would not cope with the increased costs of keeping pure exotic breeds. The transformation game provided rhetorical space to explore the two perspectives, although participants missed having a simple cost calculator. The results indicate a clear sense that participants are focused on meeting socio-economic goals (expressed for the most part in terms of increased income from livestock) and that, in the highland part of Lushoto, a strategy of moving to cross breeds and exotic breeds with good management presents an opportunity to reduce environmental impacts in Lushoto. Pressure on land and water is reduced and although greenhouse gas emissions increase, the emission intensity reduces. The move to zero-grazing will benefit soil fertility in Lushoto, as more manure can be applied to fields. However, three trade-offs arise: i) There are financial costs of keeping the high-producing breeds to take into account, as they are more vulnerable to disease and have high feed and maintenance requirements – and as production increases, the milk price in Lushoto may fall. Not everyone in the district will have the financial resources to invest in high-producing breeds. ii) The feedbasket for high-producing breeds relies mainly on planted fodder and purchased concentrates. In an area where land is restricted, the additional planted fodder will compete with existing crops, potentially affecting food security. Although there is a sense that planted fodder for milk would provide higher returns than ill-suited maize, producers will need to consider what is the best use of their land. iii) The reliance on purchased concentrates effectively exports the environmental impact, allowing for the reduced pressure in Lushoto. Although this benefits Lushoto, national planning should take this into consideration. Overall, the workshop was a positive learning experience for all, providing an important opportunity to come together, but it is only the start of an ongoing conversation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Landscape-scale variability of soil health indicators: effects of cultivation on soil organic carbon in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania
    (Springer, 2015-11-02) Winowiecki, L.; Va°gen, T.; Massawe, B.; Jelinski, N. A.; Lyamchai, C.; Sayula, G.; Msoka, E.
    Land-use change continues at an alarming rate in sub-Saharan Africa adversely affecting ecosystem services provided by soil. These impacts are greatly understudied, especially in biodiversity rich mountains in East Africa. The objectives of this study were to: conduct a biophysical baseline of soil and land health; assess the effects of cultivation on soil organic carbon (SOC); and develop a map of SOC at high resolution to enable farm-scale targeting of management interventions. Biophysical field surveys were conducted in a 100 km2 landscape near Lushoto, Tanzania, with composite soil samples collected from 160 sampling plots. Soil erosion prevalence was scored, trees were counted, and current and historic land use was recorded at each plot. The results of the study showed a decline in SOC as a result of cultivation, with cultivated plots (n = 105) having mean topsoil OC of 30.6 g kg-1, while semi-natural plots (n = 55) had 71 g OC kg-1 in topsoil. Cultivated areas were also less variable in SOC than seminatural systems. Prediction models were developed for the mapping of SOC based on RapidEye remote sensing data for January 2014, with good model performance (RMSEPcal = 8.0 g kg-1; RMSEPval = 10.5 g kg-1) and a SOC map was generated for the study. Interventions will need to focus on practices that increase SOC in order to enhance productivity and resilience of the farming system, in general. The highresolution maps can be used to spatially target interventions as well as for monitoring of changes in SOC.