External publications

Indigenous knowledge for sustainable food security in Turiani Division, Tanzania

Chomboko, Denis / Theobald Theodory / Michael Brüntrup / Venance Shillingi / Saymore Ngonidza Kativu / Anna-Katharina Hornidge
External Publications (2025)

in: Cogent Social Sciences 11 (1), article 2493319

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2025.2493319
Open Access

Smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa faces many problems. The adoption of modern innovations has been low. Indigenous alternatives may constitute alternatives; however, they have received less attention. This study contributes to filling this gap in the case study of Turiani, Tanzania. A mixed-method research design was used to understand farmers’ use and assessment of indigenous technologies. The quantitative survey covered 280 households, with 16 qualitative in-depth expert interviews. Almost all farmers were aware of indigenous technologies. Well over one-third applied indigenous practices to a high degree, just over a third to a moderate degree. The assessments varied substantially by technology; most methods of harvesting, crop storage, and indigenous water management were very positively assessed, while indigenous seed practices, irrigation, and granaries received less but still positive appreciation. Farmers were divided with regard to indigenous land management and crop rotation. A few indigenous technologies have been widely considered with skepticism, particularly pest control. Overall, the results indicate that farmers merged indigenous and modern knowledge. This is highly specific, we call this ‘local’ knowledge, in explicit difference to purely ‘indigenous and traditional’ knowledge. We conclude that it would seem worthwhile to maintain, scientifically validate, possibly further refine, and disseminate selected indigenous technologies.

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