Maisha Bora Food Security Programme
Project facts
Date
01/01/2015 31/12/2019
Payment Mechanisms / Support
VSF Belgium; UCRT, HEIFER (co-financed by Belgian Fund for Food Security)
Country
United Republic of Tanzania
Region
SSA (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Site
Tanzania, Longido and Simanjiro Districts
Contact
Case overview
Main Challenges
Restoring grassland, Sustainable grassland managementStarting point/ Challenges
Food insecurity, low livestock productivity, agricultural encroachment, need for land use planning and better management of communal grazing land
Purpose/ Objectives addressed, Results expected
Improved livestock keeping; support veterinary services; securing communal grazing land; rangeland management and improvement; capacity building of livestock keepers , local partner and local governments
Type of Case
Capacity building, Land development, Livestock development
| Agroecological zone | Semi-arid (75 < x < 180 LGP) |
| Land area size (km2) | 9000 households targeted in 15 villages in Simanjiro and Longido districts |
| Number of people | |
| Sub-area | 15 villages in Simanjiro and Longido districts |
| Land ownership | Collective |
| Ownership comments | Securing communal (village) grazing land following the Village Land Act and the National Land Use Planning policy: establishment of Land Use Plans and delivery of communal Certificates of Customary Rights of Occupancy |
| Livestock system | Grazing |
| Livestock Type: | Cattle, Goats, Sheep |
| Comment livestock systems: | Pastoralists, Cattle (predominantly Maasai Short Horn Zebu), sheep, goats |
| Operating environment: | Free market (local markets and cross border trade with Kenya) and subsistence |
| Participants in the case/project: | Maasai pastoralists, local governments |
| Methods / Approaches applied to reach objectives: | Land Use Planning, Holistic grazing management, Farmer Field Schools, Community Animal Health Workers |
Outcome/ Beneficiaries/ Issues
Sustainability regarding economic issues
Commercialisation strategies livestock to markets
Sustainability regarding social issues
Small livestock for women groups, participatory decision making
Sustainability regarding ecological issues
Grazing management plans, natural resource governing by-laws
Knowledge Exchange
Mostly via platforms on rangeland management
Key Conflicts / Problems
Agricultural encroachment, land grabbing for conservation purposes, population increase, droughts
Lessons learnt
Changing attitudes on optimal herd size and commercialisation is long process; establishing good participatory land use plans and grazing calendars are important tools to secure pastoralist livelihoods
Research Gaps
Carrying capacity determination, control of invasive species
Source of information
Keywords:
Land use planning, management of communal grazing resources, livestock improvement