Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Agriculture and Human Values https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-019-09967-6 “Modern” farming and the transformation of livelihoods in rural Tanzania Katherine A. Snyder 1  · Emmanuel Sulle 2  · Deodatus A. Massay 3  · Anselmi Petro 4  · Paschal Qamara 5  · Dan Brockington 6 Accepted: 25 June 2019 © Springer Nature B.V. 2019 Abstract This paper focuses on smallholder agriculture and livelihoods in north-central Tanzania. It traces changes in agricultural production and asset ownership in one community over a 28 year period. Over this period, national development policies and agriculture programs have moved from socialism to neo-liberal approaches. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, we explore how farmers have responded to these shifts in the wider political-economic context and how these responses have shaped their livelihoods and ideas about farming and wealth. This case study clearly debunks the idea that rural farmers are slow to respond to “modern” farming methods or that smallholder farming is stagnant and cannot reduce poverty. While changes overall are very positive in this rural community, challenges remain as land sizes are small and markets often unreliable. This research cautions against a shift in emphasis to large-scale farming as a strategy for national development. It suggests instead that increased investment in supporting smallholder farming is critical for addressing poverty and rural well-being. Keywords Rural livelihoods · Smallholder agriculture · Agrarian change · Iraqw · Tanzania Introduction: economic growth, agriculture and intensifcation There has been considerable attention and debate, at a macro-level, on the changes taking place in agriculture across the African continent and whether these changes are or can result in poverty reduction and signifcant economic transformation (Barrett et al. 2017; Collier and Dercon 2014; Davis et al. 2017; Jayne et al. 2010; Binswanger-Mkhize and Savastano 2017; Christiaensen 2017; Christiaensen et al. 2011). Generally in Africa, economic growth has increased signifcantly particularly from 2000 onwards (Jayne et al. 2018; Binswanger-Mhkize et al. 2010; Djurfeld et al. 2018). GDP in the region has grown by nearly 35% between 2000 and 2014 (Jayne et al. 2018, p. 777). The drivers of growth vary but signs point to urbanization, infrastructural develop- ment and tourism (Barrett et al. 2017). Annual agricultural growth, by comparison, has been smaller, with a growth of just 4.6% between 2000 and 2016 (Jayne et al. 2018, p. 777, fgures adjusted for infation). Nevertheless, there are changes in this sector, with changing diets and growing urban populations demanding more food. Liberalized poli- cies have led to an infux of new varieties of improved seeds * Katherine A. Snyder katherineasnyder@email.arizona.edu Emmanuel Sulle esulle@plaas.org.za Deodatus A. Massay hagewos@yahoo.com Anselmi Petro anselmipeter2@gmail.com Dan Brockington d.brockington@shefeld.ac.uk 1 School of Geography and Development, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA 2 Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa 3 Haidom, Tanzania 4 Mbulu District Council, Mbulu District, Tanzania 5 Kainam, Tanzania 6 Shefeld Institute for International Development, University of Shefeld, Shefeld, UK