Papers by Patricia Lyatuu
Journal of Natural Resources and Development, 2016
Understanding the influence of specific livelihood variables on a household's well-being provides... more Understanding the influence of specific livelihood variables on a household's well-being provides a crucial basis for effective focus of poverty intervention, and consequently wiser resource allocation. This paper analyses the influence of land access, livelihood strategies (LS) and selected demographic characteristics on household well-being status (HWBS) in Mvomero District, Tanzania. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design whereby quantitative data were collected once from 267 randomly selected households in 8 villages. Data analysis was done using SPSS. Unlike the hypothesis, multinomial logistic regression results demonstrated that per capita land size and location have a positive significant influence (p < 0.05) on HWBS. Likewise, unlike the hypothesis, three more variables including exclusive farming, number of dependents and distance to farms were confirmed to have a negative significant influence (p < 0.05) on well-being. It is concluded that though per capita land size has a positive influence on HWBS, expanding farms through adding plots and distant farming hinders the attainment of well-being. Moreover, households with many dependents and those working in exclusive farming are disadvantaged in the attainment of well-being. There is therefore room to enhance progress in attainment of well-being through reducing the distance to farms and promoting diversification of livelihood strategies. The Tanzania government is advised to support distant farmers with settlements in their destinations. The government and other development agencies are also advised to enhance the capacity of the studied communities and dwellers of other rural land scarce areas in Tanzania for a meaningful diversification of livelihood strategies. This can be through supporting them to gain education and labor skills and also to engage in saving and credits projects. To be inclusive the strategies may pay special attention to households with a large number of dependents.
International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 2015
Land is a key asset for rural livelihoods. The general objective of this paper is to determine th... more Land is a key asset for rural livelihoods. The general objective of this paper is to determine the relationship between land access and livelihood strategies (LS) in the context of land scarcity. A good understanding of the above relationship is of great importance to policy makers and all those interested in improving the well-being of those living in such areas. Moreover, the above could offer guidance for focused poverty interventions aiming at promoting diversity of LS. The paper is based on a study that was carried out in Mvomero District, Tanzania. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a pre-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. A total of 267 respondents were involved in the household surveys that aimed to explore the portfolio of household's livelihood strategies, the availability of assets requisite for smooth diversification, challenges associated with LS and the effects of land access on LS. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using the SPSS software: descriptive and multinomial logistic regression were performed to identify dominant LS, determine assets portfolios and the influence of land access and selected household socio-economic characteristics on choices of LS. Qualitative data were analysed using the content analysis method and used to supplement the quantitative information. The results show that, farming is the dominant household LS. However, a significant proportion of households cope with land shortage by engaging in survival off-farm LS due to lack of labour skills, savings and capital necessary for undertaking high paying LS. A households location and its distance to the farm was positively related to its engagement in survival off-farm LS. Moreover, ownership of land without formal land titles negatively influenced a household's diversification of its LS (p < 0.05). It is therefore recommended that strategies for improvement of the well-being of households in the study areas and those with similar context should centre on promotion of diversification of LS. Nonetheless, investment in education and labour skills training is crucial for a meaningful diversification of LS. In addition, households should be encouraged to save, access to credit should be improved and formalization of land titles should be done.
A PhD ThesisArable land scarcity and inefficient livelihood strategies are Sub Saharan Africa phe... more A PhD ThesisArable land scarcity and inefficient livelihood strategies are Sub Saharan Africa phenomena posing a challenge of rural chronic poverty in the 21st Century. This study analysed the link between land access, livelihood strategies (LS) and household well-being (HWBS) in land scarce areas, Mvomero District, Tanzania. Specifically, it determined: land access and associated factors, effect of land access on LS, influence of LS on HWBS and the impacts of land access on HWBS. A cross sectional research design was adopted whereby a survey was conducted involving 267 households. In addition, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted. Qualitative results demonstrated that the majority of households lacked secure access to land. While lack of irrigation schemes hindered land access in densely populated areas by discouraging settlement in land abundant villages, land grabbing perpetuated by weak tenure security, monetary poverty and non compliance to land l...
Journal of Natural Resources and Development, 2016
Understanding the influence of specific livelihood variables on a household's well-being provides... more Understanding the influence of specific livelihood variables on a household's well-being provides a crucial basis for effective focus of poverty intervention, and consequently wiser resource allocation. This paper analyses the influence of land access, livelihood strategies (LS) and selected demographic characteristics on household well-being status (HWBS) in Mvomero District, Tanzania. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design whereby quantitative data were collected once from 267 randomly selected households in 8 villages. Data analysis was done using SPSS. Unlike the hypothesis, multinomial logistic regression results demonstrated that per capita land size and location have a positive significant influence (p < 0.05) on HWBS. Likewise, unlike the hypothesis, three more variables including exclusive farming, number of dependents and distance to farms were confirmed to have a negative significant influence (p < 0.05) on well-being. It is concluded that though per capita land size has a positive influence on HWBS, expanding farms through adding plots and distant farming hinders the attainment of well-being. Moreover, households with many dependents and those working in exclusive farming are disadvantaged in the attainment of well-being. There is therefore room to enhance progress in attainment of well-being through reducing the distance to farms and promoting diversification of livelihood strategies. The Tanzania government is advised to support distant farmers with settlements in their destinations. The government and other development agencies are also advised to enhance the capacity of the studied communities and dwellers of other rural land scarce areas in Tanzania for a meaningful diversification of livelihood strategies. This can be through supporting them to gain education and labor skills and also to engage in saving and credits projects. To be inclusive the strategies may pay special attention to households with a large number of dependents.
Intersect the Stanford Journal of Science Technology and Society, Nov 26, 2014
Ensuring secure land access for rural inhabitants is a global challenge aimed to end the vicious ... more Ensuring secure land access for rural inhabitants is a global challenge aimed to end the vicious cycle of poverty and natural resources degradation. Two important measures of secure land access include the ability to acquire tenure rights and benefits gained from the land, and yet available studies have given them little attention to date. This study drew data from 267 households in the Morogoro region of Tanzania using a questionnaire. In addition, focus group discussions and key informants were employed to explore the means and processes through which farmers in densely and sparsely populated areas-Mgeta division and Mlali division, respectively-derive a living from land. The study employed a cross-sectional design to collect qualitative and quantitative data, the latter of which was analyzed using SPSS, whereby descriptive and inferential statistics were determined. Results showed that most of the households acquire farmland through inheritance and purchase. Nonetheless, more than one third of the households in both sites were without secure land ownership. We found that access to arable land in Mgeta was constrained by soil erosion and repeated fragmentation, forcing farmers to excessively apply fertilizers, to expand farms through seasonal migration, and to trek up to 6 hours to reach their farms. In addition, lack of irrigation water discouraged many from settling in land-abundant areas, since in Mgeta water was readily available from nearby catchments. Access to land in Mlali, in contrast, has been found to be limited by land grabbing perpetuated by weak tenure security, monetary poverty and noncompliance to land laws. Consequently, land-constrained households cope by borrowing farmland and by trekking up to 12 hours to reach arable farmland. Binary logistic regression results show that while high-income levels and productive assets influenced access to land positively, location had a negative influence: both were significant (p < 0.05). This study suggests that the Tanzanian government should make efforts to encourage land-constrained households from land scarce areas to settle in land abundant areas, which will only work if irrigation infrastructure is also put 1 This paper was modified on January 1st, 2015 at the authors' request.
International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 2015
Abstract Land is a key asset for rural livelihoods. The general objective of this paper is to det... more Abstract Land is a key asset for rural livelihoods. The general objective of this paper is to determine the relationship between land access and livelihood strategies (LS) in the context of land scarcity. A good understanding of the above relationship is of great importance to policy makers and all those interested in improving the well-being of those living in such areas. Moreover, the above could offer guidance for focused poverty interventions aiming at promoting diversity of LS. The paper is based on a study that was carried out in Mvomero District, Tanzania. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a pre-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. A total of 267 respondents were involved in the household surveys that aimed to explore the portfolio of household’s livelihood strategies, the availability of assets requisite for smooth diversification, challenges associated with LS and the effects of land access on LS. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using the SPSS software: descriptive and multinomial logistic regression were performed to identify dominant LS, determine assets portfolios and the influence of land access and selected household socio-economic characteristics on choices of LS. Qualitative data were analysed using the content analysis method and used to supplement the quantitative information. The results show that, farming is the dominant household LS. However, a significant proportion of households cope with land shortage by engaging in survival off-farm LS due to lack of labour skills, savings and capital necessary for undertaking high paying LS. Ahouseholds location and its distance to the farm was positively related to its engagement in survival off-farm LS. Moreover, ownership of land without formal land titles negatively influenced a household’s diversification of its LS (p < 0.05). It is therefore recommended that strategies for improvement of the well-being of households in the study areas and those with similar context should centre on promotion of diversification of LS. Nonetheless, investment in education and labour skills training is crucial for a meaningful diversification of LS. In addition, households should be encouraged to save, access to credit should be improved and formalization of land titles should be done.
Paper, 2020
This paper examines a household's wellbeing status (HWBS) and its relationship with Livelihood St... more This paper examines a household's wellbeing status (HWBS) and its relationship with Livelihood Strategies (LS) and demographic characteristics (DC) in the land shortage villages of Mvomero District, Tanzania. Through a cross-sectional research design, a structured questionnaire was administered to 267 randomly selected households. The findings show that 95.3% of households were unwell expressly in Mgeta villages; only 6.7% formed a well-off category. Unlike the hypothesis, a combination of on and off-farm LS confirmed to have a positive significant influence (p < 0.05) on the likelihood for a household to be well-off, whilst sole farming demonstrated a negative influence. Likewise, unlike the hypothesis, location of a household and sex of its head verified to have a negative influence (p < 0.05) on the likelihood for a household to be well-off. It is concluded that the majority of households are not well and only a combination of on and off-farm LS enhance wellbeing except for female headed households and those located within shrunken arable land areas. Tanzania's Development agencies are advised to encourage LS diversification, relocation to land abundant area while paying special attention to female headed households.
Abstract
Land is a key asset for rural livelihoods. The general objective of this paper is to det... more Abstract
Land is a key asset for rural livelihoods. The general objective of this paper is to determine the relationship between land access and livelihood strategies (LS) in the context of land scarcity. A good understanding of the above relationship is of great importance to policy makers and all those interested in improving the well-being of those living in such areas. Moreover, the above could offer guidance for focused poverty interventions aiming at promoting diversity of LS. The paper is based on a study that was carried out in Mvomero District, Tanzania. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a pre-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. A total of 267 respondents were involved in the household surveys that aimed to explore the portfolio of household’s livelihood strategies, the availability of assets requisite for smooth diversification, challenges associated with LS and the effects of land access on LS. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using the SPSS software: descriptive and multinomial logistic regression were performed to identify dominant LS, determine assets portfolios and the influence of land access and selected household socio-economic characteristics on choices of LS. Qualitative data were analysed using the content analysis method and used to supplement the quantitative information. The results show that, farming is the dominant household LS. However, a significant proportion of households cope with land shortage by engaging in survival off-farm LS due to lack of labour skills, savings and capital necessary for undertaking high paying LS. Ahouseholds location and its distance to the farm was positively related to its engagement in survival off-farm LS. Moreover, ownership of land without formal land titles negatively influenced a household’s diversification of its LS (p < 0.05). It is therefore recommended that strategies for improvement of the well-being of households in the study areas and those with similar context should centre on promotion of diversification of LS. Nonetheless, investment in education and labour skills training is crucial for a meaningful diversification of LS. In addition, households should be encouraged to save, access to credit should be improved and formalization of land titles should be done.
ABSTRACT
This study examined the access to land, and its implications for the choice of livelihoo... more ABSTRACT
This study examined the access to land, and its implications for the choice of livelihood strategies among rural households in densely populated areas. Field work was conducted in Mvomero district between 1st April and 5th May 2011, through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and interviews.
It was found that, household land holdings in mountainous areas are small on average and highly exhausted, resulting to migration and agricultural intensification coupled with high application of fertilizers. In contrast, the adjacent low land is fertile, with reasonable arable land size in average but household land access has been compromised by land grabbing. In both areas, majority of middle aged people and youths are practicing seasonal migration to cope with land exhaust and scarcity. However the mountainous areas are preferred above lowlands due to guaranteed availability of water for both irrigation and home use as opposed to confounded drought in lowland. While highlands inhabitants depend on low land for sufficient and fertile land to produce enough staples and excess for selling (when rain is good), land availability in law land has been compromised by grabbing.
The importance of land resource and its role on survival and development to inhabitants of the villages adjacent to the Eastern Arc Mountains cannot be over emphasized. The study reveals that crop farming remains the main livelihood strategy supported by animal keeping and small business. Productivity in the highlands and lowland is hampered by insufficiency of land which results to high demand for fertilizers and migration.
Therefore, the paper recommends promotion of proper agriculture intensification methods and enforcement of speedy implementation of land use planning for sustainable livelihood security in the study area.
Abstract
Although the processes of benefiting from land are important measures of secure land acc... more Abstract
Although the processes of benefiting from land are important measures of secure land access, available studies have given them less attention. This study was conducted in Morogoro region of Tanzania to explore on the processes through which households derive a living from arable land. The study employed a cross sectional design to collect data from densely and sparsely populated areas. Analysis of qualitatives was through content and quantitative data from 267 households employed SPSS to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. Results show that, households mainly acquire farmlands through inheritance and purchase, but the access is compromised by, insecure land rights, monetary poverty, soil infertility, and non compliance to land law thus encouraging land grabbing. Households cope with shortage of land through trekking up to six hours, cultivating up to eight tiny scattered plots and migrating seasonally. Binary Logistic Regression analysis revealed that high income, productive assets and location significantly statistically influenced land access (p < 0.05). The study concludes that formal land rights, high income and valuable assets, as well as compliance to statute and settlement of migrants/ long trekkers could enhance land access. The study therefore, recommends that strategies to enhance secure access to land in the study area and the areas with similar context should focus on; formalization of land titles, creating awareness on tenure security, up- scaling of income and asset portfolio and irrigation scheme development to encourage settlements in villages of distant trekkers’ and migrants’ destination. Further, the government should enforce adherence to land law.
Key terms; Land access, densely populated, sparsely populated, Mvomero and Tanzania.
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Papers by Patricia Lyatuu
Land is a key asset for rural livelihoods. The general objective of this paper is to determine the relationship between land access and livelihood strategies (LS) in the context of land scarcity. A good understanding of the above relationship is of great importance to policy makers and all those interested in improving the well-being of those living in such areas. Moreover, the above could offer guidance for focused poverty interventions aiming at promoting diversity of LS. The paper is based on a study that was carried out in Mvomero District, Tanzania. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a pre-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. A total of 267 respondents were involved in the household surveys that aimed to explore the portfolio of household’s livelihood strategies, the availability of assets requisite for smooth diversification, challenges associated with LS and the effects of land access on LS. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using the SPSS software: descriptive and multinomial logistic regression were performed to identify dominant LS, determine assets portfolios and the influence of land access and selected household socio-economic characteristics on choices of LS. Qualitative data were analysed using the content analysis method and used to supplement the quantitative information. The results show that, farming is the dominant household LS. However, a significant proportion of households cope with land shortage by engaging in survival off-farm LS due to lack of labour skills, savings and capital necessary for undertaking high paying LS. Ahouseholds location and its distance to the farm was positively related to its engagement in survival off-farm LS. Moreover, ownership of land without formal land titles negatively influenced a household’s diversification of its LS (p < 0.05). It is therefore recommended that strategies for improvement of the well-being of households in the study areas and those with similar context should centre on promotion of diversification of LS. Nonetheless, investment in education and labour skills training is crucial for a meaningful diversification of LS. In addition, households should be encouraged to save, access to credit should be improved and formalization of land titles should be done.
This study examined the access to land, and its implications for the choice of livelihood strategies among rural households in densely populated areas. Field work was conducted in Mvomero district between 1st April and 5th May 2011, through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and interviews.
It was found that, household land holdings in mountainous areas are small on average and highly exhausted, resulting to migration and agricultural intensification coupled with high application of fertilizers. In contrast, the adjacent low land is fertile, with reasonable arable land size in average but household land access has been compromised by land grabbing. In both areas, majority of middle aged people and youths are practicing seasonal migration to cope with land exhaust and scarcity. However the mountainous areas are preferred above lowlands due to guaranteed availability of water for both irrigation and home use as opposed to confounded drought in lowland. While highlands inhabitants depend on low land for sufficient and fertile land to produce enough staples and excess for selling (when rain is good), land availability in law land has been compromised by grabbing.
The importance of land resource and its role on survival and development to inhabitants of the villages adjacent to the Eastern Arc Mountains cannot be over emphasized. The study reveals that crop farming remains the main livelihood strategy supported by animal keeping and small business. Productivity in the highlands and lowland is hampered by insufficiency of land which results to high demand for fertilizers and migration.
Therefore, the paper recommends promotion of proper agriculture intensification methods and enforcement of speedy implementation of land use planning for sustainable livelihood security in the study area.
Although the processes of benefiting from land are important measures of secure land access, available studies have given them less attention. This study was conducted in Morogoro region of Tanzania to explore on the processes through which households derive a living from arable land. The study employed a cross sectional design to collect data from densely and sparsely populated areas. Analysis of qualitatives was through content and quantitative data from 267 households employed SPSS to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. Results show that, households mainly acquire farmlands through inheritance and purchase, but the access is compromised by, insecure land rights, monetary poverty, soil infertility, and non compliance to land law thus encouraging land grabbing. Households cope with shortage of land through trekking up to six hours, cultivating up to eight tiny scattered plots and migrating seasonally. Binary Logistic Regression analysis revealed that high income, productive assets and location significantly statistically influenced land access (p < 0.05). The study concludes that formal land rights, high income and valuable assets, as well as compliance to statute and settlement of migrants/ long trekkers could enhance land access. The study therefore, recommends that strategies to enhance secure access to land in the study area and the areas with similar context should focus on; formalization of land titles, creating awareness on tenure security, up- scaling of income and asset portfolio and irrigation scheme development to encourage settlements in villages of distant trekkers’ and migrants’ destination. Further, the government should enforce adherence to land law.
Key terms; Land access, densely populated, sparsely populated, Mvomero and Tanzania.
Land is a key asset for rural livelihoods. The general objective of this paper is to determine the relationship between land access and livelihood strategies (LS) in the context of land scarcity. A good understanding of the above relationship is of great importance to policy makers and all those interested in improving the well-being of those living in such areas. Moreover, the above could offer guidance for focused poverty interventions aiming at promoting diversity of LS. The paper is based on a study that was carried out in Mvomero District, Tanzania. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a pre-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. A total of 267 respondents were involved in the household surveys that aimed to explore the portfolio of household’s livelihood strategies, the availability of assets requisite for smooth diversification, challenges associated with LS and the effects of land access on LS. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using the SPSS software: descriptive and multinomial logistic regression were performed to identify dominant LS, determine assets portfolios and the influence of land access and selected household socio-economic characteristics on choices of LS. Qualitative data were analysed using the content analysis method and used to supplement the quantitative information. The results show that, farming is the dominant household LS. However, a significant proportion of households cope with land shortage by engaging in survival off-farm LS due to lack of labour skills, savings and capital necessary for undertaking high paying LS. Ahouseholds location and its distance to the farm was positively related to its engagement in survival off-farm LS. Moreover, ownership of land without formal land titles negatively influenced a household’s diversification of its LS (p < 0.05). It is therefore recommended that strategies for improvement of the well-being of households in the study areas and those with similar context should centre on promotion of diversification of LS. Nonetheless, investment in education and labour skills training is crucial for a meaningful diversification of LS. In addition, households should be encouraged to save, access to credit should be improved and formalization of land titles should be done.
This study examined the access to land, and its implications for the choice of livelihood strategies among rural households in densely populated areas. Field work was conducted in Mvomero district between 1st April and 5th May 2011, through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and interviews.
It was found that, household land holdings in mountainous areas are small on average and highly exhausted, resulting to migration and agricultural intensification coupled with high application of fertilizers. In contrast, the adjacent low land is fertile, with reasonable arable land size in average but household land access has been compromised by land grabbing. In both areas, majority of middle aged people and youths are practicing seasonal migration to cope with land exhaust and scarcity. However the mountainous areas are preferred above lowlands due to guaranteed availability of water for both irrigation and home use as opposed to confounded drought in lowland. While highlands inhabitants depend on low land for sufficient and fertile land to produce enough staples and excess for selling (when rain is good), land availability in law land has been compromised by grabbing.
The importance of land resource and its role on survival and development to inhabitants of the villages adjacent to the Eastern Arc Mountains cannot be over emphasized. The study reveals that crop farming remains the main livelihood strategy supported by animal keeping and small business. Productivity in the highlands and lowland is hampered by insufficiency of land which results to high demand for fertilizers and migration.
Therefore, the paper recommends promotion of proper agriculture intensification methods and enforcement of speedy implementation of land use planning for sustainable livelihood security in the study area.
Although the processes of benefiting from land are important measures of secure land access, available studies have given them less attention. This study was conducted in Morogoro region of Tanzania to explore on the processes through which households derive a living from arable land. The study employed a cross sectional design to collect data from densely and sparsely populated areas. Analysis of qualitatives was through content and quantitative data from 267 households employed SPSS to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. Results show that, households mainly acquire farmlands through inheritance and purchase, but the access is compromised by, insecure land rights, monetary poverty, soil infertility, and non compliance to land law thus encouraging land grabbing. Households cope with shortage of land through trekking up to six hours, cultivating up to eight tiny scattered plots and migrating seasonally. Binary Logistic Regression analysis revealed that high income, productive assets and location significantly statistically influenced land access (p < 0.05). The study concludes that formal land rights, high income and valuable assets, as well as compliance to statute and settlement of migrants/ long trekkers could enhance land access. The study therefore, recommends that strategies to enhance secure access to land in the study area and the areas with similar context should focus on; formalization of land titles, creating awareness on tenure security, up- scaling of income and asset portfolio and irrigation scheme development to encourage settlements in villages of distant trekkers’ and migrants’ destination. Further, the government should enforce adherence to land law.
Key terms; Land access, densely populated, sparsely populated, Mvomero and Tanzania.