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
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- 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
A hub of food amid of nutrition insecurities: exploring food and nutrition situations in Rural Areas of Tanzania
(East African Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation, 2023-09-14) Mbwana A.; Bundala N.
A cross sectional study was conducted and involved 351 households from two regions where participants
were mother/caregiver-child pairs. This paper discloses the challenges and opportunities of food and
nutrition situations in the areas using lessons from Morogoro and Dodoma regions, Tanzania. Data were
collected through an inventory food production questionnaire, focus group discussions, observation and
documentation on preparation, cooking and consumption practices. The study revealed several
opportunities regarding food and nutrition situations including; availability of arable land for cultivation
of diverse crops, ownership of arable land by 75% of study population, and diverse crop production, where
about 80% of households cultivate 2-3 food crops. In addition, existence of manpower for agriculture
production was evidenced by household composition of more than 3 adults capable of participating in
agriculture production. Seasonal availability of fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables was also among
the opportunities noted. Despite the documented opportunities, 82% of households participated in
subsistence farming and depended on rain fed agriculture, this led to low productivity per acre and
seasonal scarcity of foods. Poor nutrition status of children and women coupled by frequent illnesses was
noted. Prevalence of stunting was 40.5% and underweight was 14.5%, prevalence of overweight for women
was also high in the villages. Furthermore, limited skills on food preparations and sub-optimal dietary
practices such as low dietary diversity, low consumption of fruits and animal source foods prevailed in the
areas. The importance of addressing the challenges is highlighted including promoting diversified and
sustainable agriculture by educating farmers on the importance of producing, consuming and sustaining
diversified diets. Also, increasing nutrition awareness on the importance of good nutrition for economic
development and productive life.
Anthropometrics, hemoglobin status and dietary micronutrient intake among Tanzanian and Mozambican pigeon pea farmers
(Nutrients, 2022-07-15) Eleraky Laila; Ramula Issa; Mbwana Hadija; Rybak Constance; Jan Frank; Stuetz Wolfgang
Inadequate consumption of micronutrient-dense and protein-rich foods such as vegetables,
legumes and meat is an important contributing cause for anemia and deficiencies of vitamin A and
iron in rural communities of Tanzania and Mozambique. A cross-sectional study was conducted to
assess the nutritional status (anthropometrics and hemoglobin) and diets in particular micronutrient
intake of female and male pigeon pea farmers from Lindi, Tanzania, and Gurué, the Zambézia
province of Mozambique. A total of 1526 farmers (669 from Tanzania, 857 from Mozambique) were
studied, of whom 16% were overweight and 35% were anemic. The highest prevalence of overweight
and anemia, at 35% and 48%, was observed in Tanzanian and Mozambican women, respectively.
Overall, only a small proportion of women and men reached the recommended daily dietary intake of
vitamin A (10%), iron (51%) and zinc (44%). Multiple regression models revealed that dark green leafy
vegetables (DGLVs) highly predicted vitamin A intake, whereas legumes in Tanzania and starchy
plants in Mozambique were actually the dominant sources of vitamin A. Cereals covered over half
of the iron and the zinc intake in both countries. An increased consumption of micronutrient-rich
DGLVs and legumes, while reducing the high amounts of refined maize or polished rice, is suggested
to counteract the high prevalence of anemia and overweight among smallholder farmers in East and
South Eastern Africa.
Fuel scarcity or household wealth? Assessing the drivers of cooking energy consumption patterns in rural areas in East Africa
(Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 2022) Matavel Custodio Efraim; Hoffmann Harry; Hafner Johannes Michael; Kipkulei Harison Kiplagat; Uckert Götz; Kaingo Jacob; Salavessa João; Mbwana Hadijah A.; Ramula Issa; Novela Leonel Silva; Sieber Stefan; Rybak Constance
Rural households in Tanzania and Mozambique depend mainly on
charcoal, firewood and other traditional fuels, such as cow dung or
agriculture by-products, to cook. Simultaneously, fuel scarcity is an
important phenomenon that leads households to apply coping strategies such as reducing the number of meals or increasing walking
distance to collect firewood. Despite the well-known negative health,
economic and potential ecologic impacts, the transition away from
solid biomass energy sources is not expected in the short run. Thus,
understanding the patterns of biomass energy consumption is essential to allow sustainable development in the household cooking sector.
In this study, we evaluated the influence of wealth status and fuelwood scarcity on household energy choices in four villages with case
study sites in Mozambique and Tanzania. The fuel usage patterns are
consistent with the ‘energy stacking’ model as, despite an increase in
the consumption of charcoal, firewood remains the principal cooking
fuel. Wealth does not necessarily result in a transition toward cleaner
fuels, nor does scarcity result in the use of other forms of traditional
bioenergy. We suggest the promotion of fuel reduction strategies such
as improved cookstoves or the implementation of on-farm trees to
reduce the pressure on forests.
Governing COVID‑19: analyzing the effects of policy responses on food systems in Tanzania
(Agriculture & food security, 2022) Mugabe Paschal A.; Renkamp Theresa M.; Rybak Constance; Mbwana Hadija; Gordon Chris; Sieber Stefan; Löhr Katharina
Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic increased debates on global public health concerns. From
early 2020 to 2022, globally, life was upended in the wake of the pandemic. Industries of all kinds were forced to
rapidly changed how they work, including agriculture. Particularly for smallholder farmers in developing countries, the
COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with climate change effects, negatively affected their livelihoods. Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 is unrealistic if immediate efforts are not made to address the existential threats
facing smallholder farmers. This study analyzes COVID-19 governance and policy responses, examining its effects on
smallholder farmers in the south and east of Tanzania using both qualitative and quantitative techniques.
Results: Findings show that mobility restrictions imposed by other countries and fears of the Tanzanian people leading to voluntary isolation resulted in an amended structure of farmers’ markets: Reductions in exports, imports and in
the purchasing power of the local people followed. Food security was diminished as food availability on the market
level was reduced due to mobility restrictions. The impact of COVID-19 resulted in more than 85% of smallholder
farmers experiencing an income reduction, thus also increasing the pre-existing vulnerability of these communities.
Findings show that farms producing non-exported crops had less severe income reductions and could cope better.
The results indicate that only 20% of smallholder farmers started using digital information technology to gather information since physical movements were restricted. Access to technology remained limited in rural areas. Even during
the COVID-19 crises, farmers’ concerns about the vulnerability of their food systems include non-COVID-19 causes,
such as climate change.
Conclusions: Although Tanzania did not impose a total lockdown, the country was affected by COVID-19, partly via
policies of other countries. Impacts included: (i) a decline in local markets as smallholder farmers had fewer trading partners from neighboring states; (ii) a loss of employment opportunities due to the absence of both local and
external trade; (iii) reductions of farm output and income; (iv) a lack of agricultural inputs (fertilizer etc.) that are usually
imported; (v) fear to continue farming activities due to news about COVID-19 spreading; and (vi) reduction of work
efficiency because of a lack of social gathering due to voluntary isolation.
While COVID-19 compelled policymakers to make urgent decisions to ensure stable food supply chains, the fundamental task is to address these immediate disruptions while also investing in the long-term goal of a resilient,
sustainable, and productive global food system. This can be achieved by adopting a policy package that includes
investments in technological development, access to small long-term loans, and regulatory reforms, with which governments can create conditions supporting productive, sustainable, and resilient food systems that can withstand
future shocks
Development and validation of a nutrition training package for rural women farmers in Tanzania: A pilot study
(International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 2022-05-12) Mbwana Hadijah A; Masanja Hope; Ally Kudra; Mwakatobe Lufingo
Undernutrition continues to inflict significant social, health and economic consequences in developing countries,
Tanzania inclusive. Lack of nutrition knowledge among rural women who are the main caregivers of children
and family at large is reflected in the poor nutritional status and compromised health in rural areas. This study
aimed to develop and pilot a nutrition training package which is contextually and culturally specific for rural
women farmers in Tanzania in order to improve their knowledge, attitudes, skills and practices for positive
behaviour change and optimum nutrition practices. The study was conducted in five villages from the semi-arid
Dodoma region in Tanzania. A total sample size of 660 households/ women was involved in the study. The
development of nutrition education materials started by conceptualization process, where factors affecting
nutrition status were drawn from the baseline information. A set of five target behaviours were prioritized for
intervention development. These included: exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding, diet
diversification, maternal nutrition, food processing at household level and general hygiene. The training
materials were in pictorial form to enable even the illiterate ones to be included. Analyses were conducted to
compare the baseline with after pilot results. Results showed that there were statistically significant mean
increases in general nutrition knowledge. Dietary diversity and practices improved after the pilot study. There
was a clear indication that the training packages were well packed and messages given were getting across and
the women could change their practices. All of the participants of the pilot study agreed that the training
equipped them with enough information to efficiently incorporate nutrition issues into their future practices. The
nutrition education program was found to have improved household nutrition practices in a relatively short time,
in particular, nutrition knowledge and food diversity in the piloting group. Future studies may benefit from using
this training material to educate rural women farmers. This study is a good starting point for creating a
community of women in rural areas that is knowledgeable and with nutrition sensitive practices that will help to
prevent undernutrition problems in the future