Women Are the Key to Climate Adaption

Female farmers’ living conditions and vulnerability towards climate change in northern Tanzania Kvinnliga bönders livsvillkor och utsatthet inför klimat- förändringar i norra Tanzania A minor field study on how Vi Agroforestry´s work affects the women. Bachelor Thesis Environmental Science Malmö University Author: Åsa Fagerström Supervisor: Graciela Ratti Spring 2011 1 Abstract In Tanzania, entire families depend on their women for survival, since they do most of the work in the household and are also the food producers. Despite this important role, women are being aggrieved and lack enough power, rights and access to land tenure. Ignoring women’s importance in this way may lead to disastrous consequences, as climate changes are a major threat to those people depending on nature for their survival. Vi Agroforestry is doing a tremendous job in improving the living conditions for the small-scale East African farmers by educating them in agricultural techniques that will have a positive effect on their standard of living. This study shows that this work helps the farmers in their everyday life by improving living conditions, which includes bigger harvests, more nutritious and balanced diet, and the possibility of taking loans through micro-financing. However, when it comes to women having more empowerment in their society, there is still a lot to be done since there are huge obstacles standing in their way, such as politics, ancient culture, customs and beliefs, all of which prevent women from attaining the acknowledgement they rightly deserve. And most importantly, when the climate begins to change more rapidly, women will be a major influence regarding adaptation to climate changes that will affect these people’s lives dramatically. Keywords: Tanzania, Agroforestry, female farmers, climate change Sammanfattning I Tanzania är hela familjer beroende av kvinnor för sin överlevnad då det är kvinnorna gör det mesta av arbetet i hushållet och det är även kvinnorna som producerar större delen av all mat som konsumeras. Trots denna viktiga roll som kvinnor har saknar de tillräcklig med rättigheter, respekt och tillgång till markinnehav. Denna okunskap om kvinnors betydelse kan få ödesdigra konsekvenser nu när klimatförändringar börjar påverka hela vår jord och detta kommer att bli ett stort hot mot de människor som är beroende av naturen för sin överlevnad. Vi-skogen gör ett gediget arbete med att förbättra levnadsvillkoren för småskaliga östafrikanska bönder genom att utbilda dem i nya jordbruks-tekniker och hjälper dem att anpassa sig till klimatförändringar. Detta arbete har en positiv effekt på deras levnadsstandard. Denna studie visar att Vi-skogens arbete hjälper de kvinnliga bönderna i deras vardag med förbättrade levnadsvillkor, såsom större skördar, mer näringsrik och balanserad kost och möjligheter att ta lån genom mikrofinansiering. Men när det kommer till att ge kvinnor mer makt i samhället finns det fortfarande mycket att göra eftersom det finns stora hinder som står i deras väg, exempelvis politik, gamla traditioner och seder som hindrar 2 kvinnor att få det erkännande och respekt som de förtjänar. Och det viktigaste av allt: När klimatförändringarna börjar påverka människornas överlevnad så är det kvinnorna som är nyckeln till anpassningen till de nya levnadsförhållanden som kommer att krävas för att kunna odla marken för att få mat och i slutändan kommer det att handla om liv och död. Nyckelord: Tanzania, Agroforestry, kvinnliga bönder, klimatförändringar 3 Foreword This thesis wouldn´t have been possible without Vi Agroforestry´s, Henrik Brundin; Regional Director and Ylva Nyberg; Technical Programme Advisor who both gave me the permission to undertake this minor field study together with Vi Agroforestry. Thanks to all the staff in the Vi Agroforestry´s office in Musoma and especially to Björn Horvath; Project Manager who made it possible for me to do my field study in Tanzania. Thank you also to Neema Kitila; Deputy Manager and “the woman who makes things happen”, thanks to Zone Coordinator Mzee Mutachuba who took such good care of me with a true and honest concern during my stay on the island Ukerewe. I owe a huge thank to Rolf Skogsberg; Programme Advisor and his wife Gunnel Lundin who both welcomed me into their home and offered me unlimited hospitality when letting me stay in their house in the outskirts of Musoma. I want to thank all the friendly farmers who accepted to be interviewed by me and answered to all the questions I had and also without hesitation, sharing sensitive information with me. I wouldn´t have had anything to write if it wasn´t for you! I also want to thank my supervisor Graciela Ratti at Malmö University, whom from the start and all along the process with this thesis had high hopes and confidence in my work and ability. I also owe a huge collective “Asanteni sana”! (Thank you) to all the Tanzanians I met during my eight week stay in your country! You made me realize how much I have missed Tanzania and I am so grateful for how you make me feel so welcome and at ease with you. I envy your sincere hospitality and positive way of thinking. “Tutaonana tena”! (We´ll meet again). 4 Table of content Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Foreword .................................................................................................................................... 4 List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................... 7 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 8 1.1 Purpose and research questions ........................................................................................ 9 1.2 Delimitation of the study .................................................................................................. 9 1.3 Disposition ........................................................................................................................ 9 2. Why women matter .............................................................................................................. 10 2.1 African women - the food producers .............................................................................. 10 2.2 Climate changes .............................................................................................................. 11 2.2.1 Climate changes on the political agenda .................................................................. 12 2.2.2 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ................................................... 13 2.3 United Nations Millennium Development Goals ........................................................... 13 2.4 Vi Agroforestry............................................................................................................... 14 2.5 Tanzania .......................................................................................................................... 16 2.5.1 Climate ..................................................................................................................... 16 2.5.2 Lake Victoria ........................................................................................................... 17 3. Method and materials ........................................................................................................... 20 3.1 Interviews ....................................................................................................................... 20 3.1.1 Focus groups ............................................................................................................ 20 3.1.2 Performing the interviews ........................................................................................ 21 3.2 Kiswahili ......................................................................................................................... 21 3.3 Ethics .............................................................................................................................. 22 3.4 Critical review of the method ......................................................................................... 22 3.4.1 Focus groups ............................................................................................................ 23 3.4.2 Me, being a researcher ............................................................................................. 23 3.4.3 Survey or interviews ................................................................................................ 24 5 4. Experiencing the lives of Tanzanian small-scale farmers .................................................... 26 4.1 Field visit in Bunda District............................................................................................ 27 4.2 Interviews in Ukerewe .................................................................................................... 31 4.3 Dominant and abusive husbands in Bunda District ........................................................ 33 4.4 Bride prices in Rorya District ......................................................................................... 34 5. Results and analysis ............................................................................................................. 38 5.1 Millennium Development Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger .................

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