Submitted | Determinants of Women Farmers’ Interaction with Agricultural Innovation Systems for Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption in Tanzania.
Jacquiline M. Ndosi, Kyaruzi A. Ahmad, Jeremiah R. Makindara and Kwaku G. Duodu
Research article submitted to the African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development
Abstract: Maximising the uptake of Climate-Smart Agriculture in developing countries requires an understanding of the factors that shape women smallholder farmers’ interaction with Agricultural Innovation Systems. This study examines how institutional support, training, knowledge and learning processes, social interaction and accessibility constraints influence the intensity of interaction between women smallholder maize farmers and AIS actors in Tanzania. Primary data were collected from 278 women farmers in Tarime and Mpimbwe Districts and analysed using an ordered logistic regression model. Interaction intensity was classified as low, medium or high, and the robustness of the findings was assessed using alternative model specifications. The findings indicate that problem-solving motives, clear purposes for interaction, implementation of innovations, participation in climate-related training, relevance of advisory services, knowledge improvement, convenient meeting arrangements and discussions among women farmers strengthen interaction with AIS actors. In contrast, distance and transport barriers significantly reduce the intensity of interaction. The study concludes that demand-driven and experiential learning processes are more influential than passive access to agricultural information. Gender-responsive AIS interventions should therefore emphasise continuous training, locally accessible advisory services, women’s group learning platforms, and improved accessibility to strengthen women farmers’ adoption of CSA practices and resilience to climate change.
Keywords: Climate-Smart Agriculture; Agricultural Innovation Systems; women smallholder farmers; gender and agriculture; interaction; Tanzania
