IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v9y2025issue-5p6460-6477.html

Alliance for Enhancing Agroecological Practices among Organic Farmers in Tanzania: Perceptions, Opportunities, and Challenges of the SAT-SUA Farmer Centred Research Programme

Author

Listed:
  • Athman Kyaruzi Ahmad

    (Agricultural extension and Community Development, Sokoine University of Agriculture, 3002, Morogoro, Tanzania)

  • Alex Wostry

    (Agricultural extension and Community Development, Sokoine University of Agriculture, 3002, Morogoro, Tanzania)

  • Kenneth Mapunda

    (Agricultural extension and Community Development, Sokoine University of Agriculture, 3002, Morogoro, Tanzania)

  • Janet Maro

    (Agricultural extension and Community Development, Sokoine University of Agriculture, 3002, Morogoro, Tanzania)

  • Kizito Mwajombe

    (Agricultural extension and Community Development, Sokoine University of Agriculture, 3002, Morogoro, Tanzania)

Abstract

The study examined the perception, opportunities and challenges of a research programme geared towards farmers who have taken participatory action research to support agroecological practices among small organic farmers. The study, which followed a mixed methodology, was conducted in Mvomero district and the Morogoro municipality. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and analysis of documents and content. The sample included all farmers, pastoralists, students and staff of the SUSA who had taken part in the programme. The sample size was 136 respondents. The findings show that more than 90 per cent of respondents were positive about the use of participatory action research (PAR) as a methodology for the design and implementation of collaborative agroecological research. Attitudinal scores of 4.05 to 4.75 (farmers) and 4.22 to 4.85 (students) on a scale of 5.0 were recorded. Respondents highly rated the potential of PAR in integrating formal (general) and local knowledge, strengthening the thinking of the student of the development system and fostering cooperation and empowerment. Moreover, the solutions developed and implemented were more realistic and more feasible to share. Time-consuming, high costs of organisation and planning, high demand for facilitation and coordination skills, power and imbalance at the start of the process were identified as major challenges. The study recommends strengthening and institutionalising the partnership and assessing the overall impact of the programme and its adaptability to other settings and contexts. Lastly, future studies should consider longitudinal designs to evaluate the long-term impact of SAT-SUA’s approach, providing more robust evidence of sustainable change.

Suggested Citation

  • Athman Kyaruzi Ahmad & Alex Wostry & Kenneth Mapunda & Janet Maro & Kizito Mwajombe, 2025. "Alliance for Enhancing Agroecological Practices among Organic Farmers in Tanzania: Perceptions, Opportunities, and Challenges of the SAT-SUA Farmer Centred Research Programme," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(5), pages 6460-6477, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-5:p:6460-6477
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-9-issue-5/6460-6477.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/alliance-for-enhancing-agroecological-practices-among-organic-farmers-in-tanzania-perceptions-opportunities-and-challenges-of-the-sat-sua-farmer-centred-research-programme/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alain Ndoli & Athanase Mukuralinda & Antonius G. T. Schut & Miyuki Iiyama & Jean Damascene Ndayambaje & Jeremias G. Mowo & Ken E. Giller & Frédéric Baudron, 2021. "On-farm trees are a safety net for the poorest households rather than a major contributor to food security in Rwanda," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(3), pages 685-699, June.
    2. V. Ernesto Méndez & Martha Caswell & Stephen R. Gliessman & Roseann Cohen, 2017. "Integrating Agroecology and Participatory Action Research (PAR): Lessons from Central America," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-19, April.
    3. Sarah Banks & Andrea Armstrong & Kathleen Carter & Helen Graham & Peter Hayward & Alex Henry & Tessa Holland & Claire Holmes & Amelia Lee & Ann McNulty & Niamh Moore & Nigel Nayling & Ann Stokoe & Ail, 2013. "Everyday ethics in community-based participatory research," Contemporary Social Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 263-277, November.
    4. Seid Hussen Muhie, 2023. "Concepts, Principles, and Application of Biodynamic Farming: a Review," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 291-304, March.
    5. Colin Ray Anderson & Janneke Bruil & Michael Jahi Chappell & Csilla Kiss & Michel Patrick Pimbert, 2019. "From Transition to Domains of Transformation: Getting to Sustainable and Just Food Systems through Agroecology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-28, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Daniel López-García & Manuel González de Molina, 2021. "An Operational Approach to Agroecology-Based Local Agri-Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    2. José Francisco Orozco-Meléndez & Jaime Paneque-Gálvez, 2024. "Co-producing uncomfortable, transdisciplinary, actionable knowledges against the corporate food regime through critical science approaches," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(12), pages 29863-29890, December.
    3. Nathan Einbinder & Helda Morales & Mateo Mier y Terán Giménez Cacho & Bruce G. Ferguson & Miriam Aldasoro & Ronald Nigh, 2022. "Agroecology from the ground up: a critical analysis of sustainable soil management in the highlands of Guatemala," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(3), pages 979-996, September.
    4. Ana Filipa Fonseca & Fabíola Polita & Lívia Madureira, 2024. "How Agroecological Transition Frameworks Are Reshaping Agroecology: A Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-15, November.
    5. Hill, Genia & Zurek, Monika & Obersteiner, Michael, 2026. "From local landscapes to global: A cross-scale and cross-level framework for a more just food systems transformation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    6. Ricardo Serra Borsatto & Vanilde Ferreira Souza-Esquerdo & Henrique Carmona Duval & Fernando Silveira Franco & Fabio Grigoletto, 2022. "Winning hearts and minds through a policy promoting the agroecological paradigm in universities," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(1), pages 5-18, March.
    7. Anne Angsten Clark & Olawale Babatunde Awoyemi & Benjamin Stewart Allen, 2025. "What Enables Financial Resilience: Insights from a Participatory Research and Design Process with VSLA Members in Nigeria," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 37(3), pages 477-499, June.
    8. Dalal Aassouli & Ayodele Akande & Ray Jureidini, 2023. "Comparative Analysis of Sustainable Food Governance and the Alignment of Food Security Policies to Sustainable Development: A Case Study of OIC Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-27, November.
    9. Beatrice Nöldeke & Etti Winter & Yves Laumonier & Trifosa Simamora, 2021. "Simulating Agroforestry Adoption in Rural Indonesia: The Potential of Trees on Farms for Livelihoods and Environment," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-31, April.
    10. Christina Schaffer & Karin Eksvärd & Johanna Björklund, 2019. "Can Agroforestry Grow beyond Its Niche and Contribute to a Transition towards Sustainable Agriculture in Sweden?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-14, June.
    11. Jessica Pykett & Benjamin Chrisinger & Kalliopi Kyriakou & Tess Osborne & Bernd Resch & Afroditi Stathi & Eszter Toth & Anna C. Whittaker, 2020. "Developing a Citizen Social Science approach to understand urban stress and promote wellbeing in urban communities," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Venn, Rosemary & Burbi, Sara, 2023. "Agroforestry policy development in England: a question of knowledge transference," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    13. Daniel López-García & Gabriela Vázquez-Macías & Javier García-Fernández & Maggie Schmitt & Paula Ortega-Faura & Josep Lluís Espluga-Trenc, 2023. "Towards a Politics of Recognition: Exploring the Symbolic Contexts of Material Agroecological Transitions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-17, June.
    14. Katarzyna Zawalińska & Alexandra Smyrniotopoulou & Katalin Balazs & Michael Böhm & Mihai Chitea & Violeta Florian & Mihaela Fratila & Piotr Gradziuk & Stuart Henderson & Katherine Irvine & Vasilia Kon, 2022. "Advancing the Contributions of European Stakeholders in Farming Systems to Transitions to Agroecology," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 21(3), pages 50-63, December.
    15. Galt, Ryan E. & Pinzón, Natalia & Robinson, Nicholas Ian & Baukloh Coronil, Marcela Beatriz, 2024. "Agroecology and the social sciences: A half-century systematic review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    16. Alison Blay-Palmer & Elodie Valette & Olivier Lepiller & Amanda Di Battista, 2023. "Urbal: A research project," Post-Print hal-04702676, HAL.
    17. Ngango, Jules & Musabanganji, Edouard & Maniriho, Aristide & Nkikabahizi, Ferdinand & Mukamuhire, Anitha & Ng'ombe, John N., 2024. "Does agroforestry contribute to household food security? A micro-perspective from southern Rwanda," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    18. Manuel González-Rosado & Luis Parras-Alcántara & Jesús Aguilera-Huertas & Beatriz Lozano-García, 2021. "Building an Agroecological Process towards Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study from Southern Spain," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-16, October.
    19. Alison Blay-Palmer & Molly D. Anderson & Anna-Liisa Aunio & Patricia Ballamingie & Rachel Carey & Samuel Gudu & Kent Mullinix & Maureen Murphy & Chatura Pulasinghage & Andrew Spring & David Szanto & E, 2026. "Building capacities in regional food systems: mapping change towards transformation," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 43(2), pages 1-18, June.
    20. Emmons, Karen M. & Mendez, Samuel & Lee, Rebekka M. & Erani, Diana & Mascioli, Lynette & Abreu, Marlene & Adams, Susan & Daly, James & Bierer, Barbara E., 2023. "Data sharing in the context of community-engaged research partnerships," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 325(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-5:p:6460-6477. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.