Mandore, Joseph Emanuel2025-02-062025-02-062011https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6540A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of science in agricultural education and extensionJatropha curcas was introduced in East Africa a long time ago. It came via India and it was initially planted in order to mark field boundaries. It resists droughts and it is not eaten by domesticated animals. It prevents soil erosion, as well as protecting livestock and food crops. However, its potentiality in bio-fuel production can not be undermined. The local annual demand for ethanol and bio-diesel in Tanzania is estimated to be 568 and 886 million litres respectively. This means that the country has an annual export potential to the world market of ethanol and bio-diesel of about 3 442 and 840 million litres respectively. But yet to date the impact of Jatropha bio­ fuel production on rural livelihoods amongst smallholder farmers is not well known. This calls for the need to conduct research on the threats of the Jatropha curcas plant in the study sites. Specifically, this study assessed the impact of Jatropha bio­ fuel production on food security, land use, and the factors influencing adoption of Jatropha curcas. Data from Monduli were collected from Engaruka juu, and Engaruka Chini wards and data from Mpanda site were collected from Usevya and Katumba wards. Data were collected through questionnaires and focus group discussions with key informants. Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) were used to analyse the data using frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed that women and children of poor households are the ones mainly involved in Jatropha bio-fuel production activities, and thus Jatropha crop is often seen as a crop of the poor farmers, grown as live fences, for soil erosion prevention and livestock protection and has little significance impact on rural livelihood’s improvement in the study sites. Also the study reveals that Smallholder farmers plant Jatropha crop as a cash crop in small plots and fence, expecting an increased income with good market price, but unfortunately, these expectations have not been met.enJatropha curcas productionJatropha bio-fuel productionRural livelihoodSmallholder farmersMonduli districtsMpanda districtsThesis