The capacity of on-farm research in reducing poverty: Experiences from twenty seven projects in Tanzania
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Date
2008
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tanzania J.Agric.Sc
Abstract
Poverty can be categorized into income poverty and non-income poverty. At the smallscale
Jarmers level income poverty results Jrom low productivity oj agricultural
enterprises. hence low sales oj products. On the other hand. non income poverty
encompasses a wide range oj live phenomena, including level oj education, poor
survival strategies, poor nutritional status. lack oj clean and saJe drinking water, poor
social wellbeing, vulnerability , etc. In 2000/01 about 62% oj households in Tanzania
succumbed to income poverty. While the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) was
silent on research as one oj the strategic approaches to reduce poverty in Tanzania, a
study was conducted between 2001 and 2004 by Sokoine University oj Agriculture
(SUA) in collaboration with the Agricultural Sector Lead Ministries (ASLMs) to evaluate
the effectiveness oj onjarm research and development (R&D) approaches in bringing
about poverty reduction amongst the smallholder Jarmers in the country. The study
was based on 27 projects under Tanzania Agricultural Research Project Phase II
(TARPII) managed by SUA (TARPII-SUA) conducted in the Eastern and Southern
Highlands Zones oj country. By responding to a questionnaire. smallholder Jarmers
evaluated technologies introduced through research. Results have shown that
smallholder Jarmers' poverty could be signijkantly reduced by inb'oducing
appropriate technologies. Thus. on average, participating Jarmers observed reductions
in income poverty by the period oj this study. It is concluded that introduction oj
technologies through onJarm research increases technology adoption and reduces
income poverty.
Description
Tanzania J.Agric.Sc. (2007) Vol. 8 No.2, 103 -114
Accepted May, 2008
Keywords
On-farm research, Income poverty, Poverty reduction, Technology transfer