Associating the RIPAT approach with ecological agriculture, food security and poverty reduction: a case of RIPAT-SUA Project, Morogoro, Tanzania
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MKUKI NA NYOTA
Abstract
Literature shows that conventional farming has failed to support farmers to meet food security and the agro-chemicals that are used are beneficial for crop yield in terms of quantity, but they contaminate crop products, soils, and water bodies. Ecological farming seeks to improve food crop yields for balanced nutrition, strengthen fair markets for their produce, enhance healthy ecosystems, and build on ancestral knowledge and customs of farming. Projects applying the RIPAT approach promote agricultural technologies with the aim of increasing food and nutrition security and ultimately reduce poverty. Whether the technologies introduced through the RIPAT approach portray the principles of agro- ecology is an area of inquiry dealt with in this chapter, using RIPAT-SUA project as a case study. Primary data were collected through a survey using a questionnaire, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and participatory rural appraisal. Household food insecurity access scale was used to determine food security. Results showed that elements of agro- ecology supported by the RIPAT-SUA project’s basket of technology options include diversity (new crops), efficiency (intercropping cereals with legumes), recycling (incorporation of crop residues in the soil), human and social values (banana vs the environment), synergies (livestock and crop production, intercropping cereals with legumes), culture and food traditions (orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, iron-rich beans and dairy goats), and circular and solidarity economy (high value crops which attract buyers and consumers). Furthermore, through the RIPAT-SUA project, food and nutrition security and income have also improved. Therefore, projects applying the RIPAT approach adhere to agro-ecology, and through supporting farmers to grow well-sorted varieties of crops and livestock and applying technologies from the basket of options generated from a situation analysis, it is possible to improve food and nutrition security, and income, and ultimately reduce poverty. It is recommended that the use of the RIPAT approach should be applied in any agricultural interventions among small scale farmers and agricultural projects should be designed with a lens of food and nutrition security by implementing a wide range of relevant technologies associated with crops and livestock produced under agro- ecology principles.
Description
Book Chapter
Keywords
Agro-ecology, RIPAT-SUA project, RIPAT approach, Food security, Poverty reduction
Citation
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tjags/article/view/234451