Information Needs and Sources for Food and Nutrition Security among Smallholder Farmers in Mvomero District, Tanzania

Abstract

This study focused on information needs and sources for food and nutrition security among smallholder farmers in Mvomero District, Tanzania, using the descriptive research design. The study employed the stratified random sampling method to select the sample of 84 respondents from the population of 2,389 smallholder farmers in the district. The data sources included a questionnaire, which provided the quantitative data and a Focus Group Discussion, which provided the qualitative data. The study used the STATA program for data analysis to perform descriptive statistics and the thematic approach in addressing the qualitative data. The study established a myriad of food and nutrition security needs. The identified needs include climate change adaptation strategies, nutritional value and dietary diversity, food crop processing techniques, land ownership and tenure, food preparation and dietary practices, market and trade insights and agricultural finance and investment opportunities. Furthermore, the study established a variety of sources of information including community meetings and workshops, extension services, traditional knowledge, mobile phones and SMS services, agricultural cooperatives and farmer groups, radio and television programs, online platforms and digital resources and research institutions and agricultural universities.