Rural women's participation in managing aflatoxin contamination in the groundnut postharvest value chain in chemba district, Tanzania
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Date
2024-05-24
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety
Abstract
Aims: This study sought to determine the extent of rural women's participation in managing
aflatoxin contamination in the groundnut postharvest value chain.
Study Design: The study employed a cross-sectional mixed-methods research design involving
quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Chemba District in Dodoma
Region, Tanzania situated at the coordinates 05°14′ 34′′ S latitude and 35°53′ 24′′ E longitude,
respectively. Methodology: The primary data for the study were obtained from a random sample of 137 female
groundnut farmers residing in twelve (12) villages from eight (08) wards in Chemba District. A
questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data, while an FGD guide, checklist, and participant
observation were employed to obtain qualitative data.
Results: The findings show that women groundnut farmers participate partly in various aflatoxins-
related project activities in decision making (50.36%), implementation (44.52%), benefits (59.85%),
and evaluation (51.09%). Moreover, the findings of the study show that women participate in
groundnut postharvest activities involving cleaning, drying, grading, sorting, processing, packing,
storage, and marketing. However, the study shows that women’s participation in groundnut
postharvest activities for managing aflatoxin is low. The findings also indicate that there is no
statistically significant association between women's involvement in aflatoxin management and
their age (χ2 = 7.800, P = 0.099), years of engagement in agriculture (χ2 = 3.556, P = 0.469), and
farm size (χ2 = 2.004, P = 0.735). Additionally, a statistically significant association was observed
between women's participation in managing aflatoxin and their level of education (χ2 = 12.650, P =
0.013*), as well as their marital status (χ2 = 27.550, P = 0.000***).
Conclusion: The study found that rural women's participation in managing aflatoxin contamination
in the groundnut postharvest value chain is critical. Hence, this study recommends developing
strategies and initiatives targeting and supporting women's participation in managing aflatoxin
contamination in the groundnut postharvest value chain.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
Women participation, groundnuts, aflatoxin, postharvest, value chain, project activities
Citation
Komba , R., Mwaseba , D., & Martin , R. (2024). Rural Women’s Participation in Managing Aflatoxin Contamination in the Groundnut Postharvest Value Chain in Chemba District, Tanzania. European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety, 16(6), 110–125. https://doi.org/10.9734/ejnfs/2024/v16i61445