Socioeconomic and Environmental Factors Affecting Food Security among Smallholder rice farmers in Kahama District, Tanzania

Abstract

This study explores the impact of socioeconomic and environmental factors on food security among smallholder rice farmers in Kahama District, Tanzania.  A random sampling technique was employed to gather data from 460 smallholder rice farmers through structured questionnaires. Socio-demographic characteristics reveal that the majority of smallholder farmers were male (74.2%), had primary education (57.9%), were aged between 46-55 years (32.9%), earned a monthly income of less than TZS 200,000 (72.3%) and a majority of smallholder farmers used local seeds (86.7%). Interestingly, 62% sold their rice post-harvest, despite 60.87% acknowledging the importance of maintaining an adequate rice stock for food security. Regression analysis revealed farm credit (β=0.258, p<0.05) and farm size (β=0.151, p<0.001) as positively influencing rice stock. Age showed a marginally positive association (β=0.045, p<0.10), while non-farm income (β=−0.085, p<0.05) and household size (β=−0.075, p<0.05) had negative impacts. Stable temperatures (β=0.115, p<0.05) and high rainfall (β=0.257, p<0.001) also positively correlated with rice stock. The findings suggest that increasing farm size and access to credit can enhance rice production while also addressing climate change concerns. The study recommends smallholder farmers focus on expanding farm size and utilizing farm credit to enhance rice production while adapting to climate change effects. Policy implications stemming from our findings include promoting access to agricultural credit, implementing supportive land policies, and providing extension services to improve farming techniques and management of larger farms to bolster food security among smallholder rice farmers in Kahama and similar regions.