The impact of smallholder farmers’ knowledge on climate change adaptation on food security in Tanzania

Abstract

Climate change poses a substantial threats to agriculture and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Tanzania. While research has proposed farm-level strategies to mitigate these impacts, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of local knowledge adaptation strategies and their influence on food security outcomes remains scarce. This study addresses this gap by examining the adaptation strategies employed by smallholder farmers in Kongwa District, Dodoma Region, Tanzania. Data were collected from a sample of 299 smallholder farmers using questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions, and interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied, including the Generalised Linear Model to assess the effects of climate change on food security. Additionally, the Inverse Probability Weighted (IPW) and Nearest Neighbour Matching (NNM) techniques were used to estimate the average treatment effect of local knowledge on food security outcomes. The findings reveal significant adverse impacts of climate change on food security, with farmers increasingly relying on indigenous farming practices to enhance resilience. However, the study found no conclusive evidence linking drought and heavy rainfall to reductions in household dietary diversity or meal frequency. These insights are crucial for policymakers in Tanzania to formulate robust climate change adaptation strategies. The research underscores the importance of integrating local knowledge with scientific research and institutional support to optimize adaptation efforts in the region.