Y1 Progress report | Jaquiline Ndosi

Agricultural Innovation System Toward Empowering Women Farmers to Adopt Climate Change Adaptation Strategies: A Case Study of Maize Production in Katavi and Mara Regions, Tanzania

The first year of my research fellowship has been highly productive and marked by substantial progress toward achieving the project's research objectives. The fellowship has significantly strengthened my research capacity, expanded my professional network, and enhanced my leadership skills, while providing an enabling environment for conducting high-quality research on climate change adaptation among women smallholder farmers in Tanzania.

The overarching objective of my project is to examine how Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) can empower women smallholder farmers to adopt Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices in Tanzania's climate-vulnerable regions. The study focuses on the Tarime District Council in the Mara Region and the Mpimbwe District Council in the Katavi Region, which represent contrasting agroecological conditions and farming systems.

During the reporting period, considerable progress was made in project planning and implementation. Following approval of the research proposal, all ethical and administrative research clearances were successfully obtained from the relevant authorities. Research instruments were developed, reviewed, pre-tested, and refined to ensure they adequately captured the study objectives. Data collection protocols, enumerator manuals, and digital questionnaires were also prepared before field implementation.

Fieldwork was successfully completed in both study districts using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from women smallholder maize farmers through structured household surveys. At the same time, qualitative information was obtained through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) involving extension officers, local government officials, researchers, financial institutions, NGOs, farmer organisations, agro-dealers, and other Agricultural Innovation System actors. This approach generated a comprehensive dataset capturing institutional interactions, climate-smart agriculture adoption, women's decision-making, empowerment, and climate adaptation practices.

Following completion of fieldwork, extensive data cleaning, validation, coding, and management were undertaken. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, applying descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, Ordered Logistic Regression (OLR), and Social Network Analysis (SNA) as appropriate to the specific research objectives. Qualitative data were transcribed, coded, and analysed thematically to complement and explain the quantitative findings. The integration of qualitative and quantitative evidence has strengthened the reliability and interpretation of the study findings.

A manuscript examining the impacts of climate adaptation behaviour on maize productivity, using Tanzania LSMS-ISA panel data, has been completed and is now prepared for submission to an international journal. This paper applies advanced econometric techniques, including the Mundlak Correlated Random Effects model, to evaluate how individual and bundled adaptation practices influence maize yields and buffer climate shocks under different agroecological conditions.

In addition to journal publications, the project's findings have been disseminated at international scientific conferences. Research abstracts were accepted for presentation at international conferences, providing opportunities to share preliminary findings, receive scholarly feedback, and establish collaborations with researchers working on climate change adaptation, agricultural innovation, and gender studies across Africa.

At my home institution, Mwalimu Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology, the fellowship has enabled me to strengthen research capacity through mentoring students, supporting departmental research initiatives, and integrating emerging knowledge on Agricultural Innovation Systems and Climate-Smart Agriculture into undergraduate teaching. The fellowship has therefore contributed not only to my individual career development but also to institutional capacity building.

Overall, the first year of the fellowship has achieved its planned milestones. Data collection and analysis have been completed; substantial scientific outputs have been generated; international dissemination activities have been undertaken; and significant progress has been made toward achieving the fellowship's overall objectives. The project remains on schedule, and no major deviations from the approved work plan have occurred.

One of the most valuable lessons has been recognising that local communities are not merely research participants but important knowledge holders and partners in the research process. Interactions with women farmers and other Agricultural Innovation System actors demonstrated that practical solutions emerge when scientific knowledge is combined with local experiences and indigenous knowledge. This realisation has strengthened my commitment to conducting research that is participatory, inclusive, and responsive to community needs. I have learned that farmers' adoption of climate adaptation practices is influenced not only by agricultural technologies but also by social norms, gender relations, institutional arrangements, economics, policy, environmental conditions, and local knowledge. Understanding these interconnected factors has required drawing upon concepts from agricultural extension, rural sociology, gender studies, economics, climate science, and innovation systems, while actively engaging with extension officers, local government authorities, researchers, NGOs, financial institutions, farmer organisations, and the women farmers themselves.

The FAR-LeaF leadership workshops, mentorship, and interactions with fellows from diverse academic backgrounds further broadened my appreciation of transdisciplinary collaboration. Engaging with colleagues from different disciplines exposed me to new ways of framing research questions, interpreting findings, and developing innovative solutions to complex development challenges. I also gained a deeper understanding of the importance of communication, teamwork, mutual respect, and shared learning in successful transdisciplinary research. As a result of this experience, I now approach research with a broader systems perspective. Rather than focusing solely on disciplinary outcomes, I seek to understand how different forms of knowledge can be integrated to generate practical, sustainable, and policy-relevant solutions. This shift in perspective has influenced both my research and my teaching. It will continue to shape my future work as a researcher and academic leader committed to addressing complex societal challenges through collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches.

Over the course of my first year in the FAR-LeaF Programme, I had the opportunity to work closely with women smallholder farmers and other actors in the Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) in Tarime and Mpimbwe District Councils in Tanzania. The experience has been both rewarding and enlightening, providing valuable insights into the realities of rural communities and the factors that influence climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption. It also reinforced the importance of building trust, respecting local knowledge, and ensuring that research responds to communities' actual needs.

One of the most positive experiences was the community members' willingness to participate in the research. Women farmers openly shared their experiences regarding climate change, farming practices, and the challenges they face in accessing agricultural information, financial services, and improved technologies. Community leaders, extension officers, and other stakeholders were highly supportive, helping to mobilise participants and facilitate data collection. Their cooperation enabled the collection of high-quality quantitative and qualitative data while fostering meaningful dialogue on climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture.

The fieldwork also strengthened relationships between the university, local government authorities, and farming communities, creating opportunities for future collaboration. Another positive experience was witnessing the resilience and innovation of women farmers despite numerous constraints. Many farmers demonstrated remarkable creativity in adapting to changing climatic conditions by combining indigenous knowledge with modern agricultural practices, including improved seed varieties, soil fertility management, and crop diversification. Listening to their experiences helped me appreciate that effective agricultural innovations are often built on local knowledge and practical experience rather than solely on externally introduced technologies.

The research also highlighted the value of transdisciplinary engagement. Interacting with extension officers, researchers, local government officials, NGOs, farmer groups, and financial institutions demonstrated that sustainable agricultural development requires collaboration among multiple actors. These interactions enriched my understanding of Agricultural Innovation Systems and reinforced the importance of co-producing knowledge with communities rather than treating them only as research participants.

Despite these positive experiences, the fieldwork also presented several challenges. In some communities, women initially hesitated to participate due to research fatigue and the expectation that participation would immediately lead to financial assistance or development projects. Considerable time was therefore devoted to explaining the study's objectives, obtaining informed consent, and assuring participants that the research aimed to generate evidence to inform future interventions rather than to provide immediate material support.

Annual report submitted by Dr Jaquiline Ndosi

(summarised for publication by Heidi Sonnekus for the FAR-LeaF Programme)