Veronica Massawe, head of the transnational CROPS4HD project in Tanzania and an expert in agroecology, explains in an interview the importance of sustainable agriculture for the region and the changes it brings.
Why is SWISSAID pursuing the agroecology approach in Tanzania?
In Tanzania, SWISSAID is supporting smallholder farmers in the southern region, which is among the poorest areas in the country improve their livelihoods. This region is facing various challenges such as poor nutrition, negative impacts of climate change, and poorly maintained soils that are mostly sandy to medium loamy. Slash-and-burn is a common practice in the field.
To address these challenges, agroecology offers a solution that embraces diversity, nutrient recycling, the use of locally available materials, and indigenous knowledge in its implementation. Agroecology reduces external inputs, which has contributes significantly to improving the livelihoods of the intended beneficiaries who were already struggling. Over the long term, Agroecology offers resilience to climatic shocks and increases communities’ capacity to adapt to climate change. These are just a few reasons why SW in Tanzania pursues an Agroecology approach.
Can you give us concrete examples of agroecological practices that are applied on the ground and have a positive impact on local agriculture and community food security? What has changed in the fields?
Before SWISSAID interventions, farmers did not follow any good agronomic practices such as proper spacing, selection of good quality seeds, timely planning and harvesting.
Chemical herbicides, specifically glyphosate, and slash-and burn were heavily applied during farm preparations. The use of chemical fertilizer was very minimal due to financial constraints. Only those who could afford it applied, the rest did not apply any soil fertility improvement measures.
Currently, the recycling of residues is very high, most farmers use residues and by-products by incorporating them directly in the field as mulch or through residue retention or they integrate them in their compost. For pest management, farmers use homemade biopesticides made from herbal plants such as neem, aloe vera, hot chili, garlic, pawpaw leaves, onion, etc., and they use repellent plants such as marigolds, lemon grass and tithonia. They manage soil fertility through agroecological practices such as intercropping, composting/manuring, mulching, and crop rotation.
The recent evaluation we conducted, proved that these practices drastically reduce farm expenditures and ultimately increase productivity and income. We also observed that, as farms transition towards the advanced levels of agroecology, food and nutrition security increases.
Tansania Trip Report, November 2020
How are farmers reacting to the new agroecological approaches? What challenges are they experiencing?
Many farmers in southern Tanzania who are our beneficiaries are content and proud to receive support from the SWISSAID programme, as they have witnessed positive impacts on their livelihoods and farming practices. They appreciate the knowledge they have gained through the projects implemented by the program. However, despite the success, farmers in the region still face several challenges. For instance, they have poor access to irrigation water and facilities, and they struggle to find markets that offer fair prices and have regular buyers for their agroecological products.
Fatuma Suleimani Rashidi, 38, is a woman farmer in the Mtwara region and mother of four children. She has been practising organic farming since 2012. She produces organic fertilisers and pesticides, uses seed preservation techniques and is an expert in poultry and goat farming.
This all benefits our health and reduces illnesses and digestive problems caused by chemicals. I was also able to learn a lot of new things, meet and exchange ideas with different people. This has broadened my knowledge and understanding and enriched my life beyond farming.
How does the transition to sustainable agriculture affect the income and lives of the families?
In so many ways. The results of the evaluation indicate that as farmers transition towards agroecology, their productivity, income, food security, and nutrition security increase, while their expenses on inputs and food decrease. In simpler terms, farmers who have not yet started transitioning to agroecology are at risk of experiencing food insecurity, poor income, and poor farming practices, which could have negative impacts on their health. Farmers who are already in transition or have reached advanced levels of agroecology transition are comparatively better off.
In Tanzania, women are still disadvantaged, even though they are the ones responsible for feeding their families. How does agroecology help women in terms of their position and role in the village? What are the benefits for them and their families?
Unfortunately, women are still at a disadvantage, despite playing a crucial role in their households, communities, and the transition to agroecology. The adoption of agroecology has brought about positive social changes, such as increased recognition, respect, and economic gains for women. Moreover, women have been instrumental in co-creating and sharing knowledge, which has benefited their families and communities through improved nutrition and shared responsibilities.
However, women are often burdened with additional work, particularly during input preparation, which may adversely affect their well-being. It is essential to establish mechanisms that can relieve women of this burden, such as providing them with simple input processing equipment and other relevant items to simplify household chores.
