Expert-based ex-ante assessments of potential social, ecological, and economic impacts of upgrading strategies for improving food security in rural Tanzania using the ScalA-FS approach

Frieder Graef (), Götz Uckert, Jana Schindler, Hannes Jochen König, Hadijah A. Mbwana, Anja Faße (), Lutengano Mwinuka, Henry Mahoo, Laurent N. Kaburire, Paul Saidia, Yusto Mugisha Yustas, Valerian Silayo, Bashir Makoko, Luitfred Kissoly, Christine Lambert, Anthony Kimaro, Stefan Sieber, Harry Hoffmann, Frederick C. Kahimba and Khamaldin D. Mutabazi
Additional contact information
Frieder Graef: Institute of Land Use Systems
Götz Uckert: Institute of Land Use Systems
Jana Schindler: Institute of Land Use Systems
Hannes Jochen König: Institute of Land Use Systems
Hadijah A. Mbwana: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Lutengano Mwinuka: The University of Dodoma (UDOM)
Henry Mahoo: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Laurent N. Kaburire: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Paul Saidia: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Yusto Mugisha Yustas: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Valerian Silayo: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Bashir Makoko: Agricultural Research Institute (ARI)
Christine Lambert: University of Hohenheim
Anthony Kimaro: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), ICRAF-Tanzania Country Programme
Stefan Sieber: Institute for Socio-Economics
Harry Hoffmann: Institute for Socio-Economics
Frederick C. Kahimba: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
Khamaldin D. Mutabazi: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, 2017, vol. 9, issue 6, No 11, 1255-1270

Abstract: Abstract Subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are highly vulnerable to food insecurity given their low adaptive capacity against ecological and socio-economic shocks. Therefore, food security is one of their main challenges. Participatory action research across food value chains (FVCs) can help stabilize and enhance food security by developing upgrading strategies (UPS) that enhance specific aspects of crop production, post-harvest processing, marketing, income generation, and consumption. However, prior to their widespread adoption or upscaling, UPS need holistic understandings of their potential social, ecological, economic, and institutional challenges and opportunities in target areas. This article reports the application of the “ScalA-FS” tool, which assessed the potential success of selected UPS using assessment criteria developed by agricultural scientists and local farmers in a participatory process in Tanzania. This work is embedded in a larger participatory research project conducted in semi-arid and sub-humid ecological settings of the Dodoma and Morogoro regions of Tanzania. Results from the assessment of the potential impact of the UPS differed strongly between the UPS and the social, economic and environmental assessment criteria, but only slightly between semi-arid and sub-humid regions. The positive impacts of food-securing UPS centre on productivity and income generation. Rain water harvesting, fertilizer micro-dosing, optimized weeding, and promotion of kitchen gardens were expected to have the highest impacts after implementation. The ScalA-FS ex-ante assessments provide a knowledge base about potential impacts, as well as the potential bottlenecks to address during the implementation of UPS.

Keywords: Upgrading strategies; Ex-ante impact assessment; ScalA-FS; Food security; Food value chains; Tanzania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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DOI: 10.1007/s12571-016-0639-x

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