Stepping up Indigenous Knowledge and Technologies for Higher Incomes for Women in Rural Tanzania: A Case of Food Processing and Storage

Abstract

This study addresses various indigenous technology and knowledge-based food processing and storage methods used by rural women farming in Tanzania, focusing on the ways these can be improved for higher incomes. Primary data collected in June 2016 from 103 small-scale women farming in Dodoma, Iringa, and Mbeya were analyzed with secondary data in order to meet the study objectives. We found that the food processing activities of the women farming in these areas are largely primary— they are meant to facilitate transportation and/or storage and are accomplished using hands. The storage infrastructure is characterized by traditional methods, and sacks are the most widely used storage vessel. Farmers store the food crops for food security and to sell at a higher price later. The regression results revealed that poor storage facilities discourage increased farm production; therefore, efforts to achieve higher farm production should be accompanied by the improvement of indigenous farmers' storage facilities. Farmers themselves prefer hermetically sealed storage facilities such as drums and hermetic bags.