Article 1: SMALLHOLDER FARMER’S PERSPECTIVE TO RESILIENCE: ADAPTATION CHALLENGE IN INCREASING CROP PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS OF TANZANIA (Vol. 1, Iss. 1; pp. 1-8)

Brown Gwambene

Text | Abstract | PDF

Brown Gwambene[1]*

 *E-mail: gwambene@gmail.com

 

A R T I C L E  I N F O

Article Type: Research

Received: 13, Sep. 2018.

Accepted: 01, Oct. 2018.

Published: 04, Oct. 2018.

 

 

 A B S T R A C T

Building resilience and adaptation measures among the smallholder farmers are constrained by low capacity to sustain the viable measures. This is expressed by farmers’ ability to prepare and adjust to the resulting stress at household levels. This paper aims to assess the adaptation challenges among the smallholder farmers for improving resilience to the impacts of climate variability. The study used a combined method that involves both qualitative and quantitative sources of data that include key informant interview, focus group discussion and household questionnaire. The data were organized, processed and analyzed by using trend and content analysis of qualitative data whereas the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel software were deployed for quantitative data. The result revealed that smallholder farmers use both the local traditional and conventional measures for increasing resilience and reducing vulnerability to the impact of climate variability. Nevertheless, land, climate and conditioning factors hindered or promoted adaptation measures. Since the instance, changes in agricultural practices accelerate impact on production and land productivity. Thus, to increase resilience, substantial improvement in policy and practice for smallholder farmers is important. This needs to enhance resilience of smallholder farmers against changing environmental conditions and providing the enabling environment for increasing adaptive capacity.
Keywords:

Smallholder farmers, climate change, adaptation and resilience

[1] Dr. Brown Gwambene, Lecturer/ Researcher, Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences and Entrepreneurship, Marian University College, P.O. Box 47, Bagamoyo, Tanzania

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