SF Tanzania Impact Study
Category:AgricultureOVERVIEW: THE SF TANZANIA CASE STUDY, 2025–2026
The Southern Highlands Participatory Organisation (SHIPO), in collaboration with the Skat Foundation, is embarking on a vital research initiative in the Njombe Region. As part of the global Sufosec Alliance Impact Study, we are conducting a specialized case study to understand how combining improved water access with organic farming techniques changes lives.
While the global alliance studies food security broadly, SHIPO’s study is unique. We are investigating a specific “pathway” to impact: Does combining agroecology with “Self Supply” water infrastructure lead to better food security than farming alone?
THE CHALLENGE: FARMING THROUGH THE DRY SEASON
In the Njombe Region, smallholder farmers face a critical challenge: a long dry season (May to October) that severely limits agricultural productivity.
- Water Scarcity: Many families rely entirely on rainfall or traditional sources that dry up, forcing them to abandon farming for half the year.
- Gender Burden: Women often bear the responsibility of collecting water, walking long distances that take time away from farming and family care.
- Limited Diversity: Without reliable water, farmers are often stuck growing only maize and beans, limiting their income and dietary diversity.
OUR SOLUTION: THE “SELF SUPPLY” APPROACH
Since 2012, SHIPO has championed the “Self Supply” project. We don’t just teach farming; we build the infrastructure to sustain it. Our intervention includes:
Learning Gardens: We have established 15 community learning gardens to demonstrate how water-efficient technologies can grow high-value vegetables and fruits even during dry spells.
Water Infrastructure: Training local drillers to create boreholes and artisans to produce rope pumps, alongside installing drip irrigation systems.
Agroecological Training: Through Farmer Field Schools (FFS), we have trained 40 lead farmers (75% of whom are women) in organic techniques like bio-fertilizers, intercropping, and mulching.
