Agriculture is the backbone of Tanzania’s economy, accounting for about one-third of the gross domestic product (GDP), 85% of all exports and provides livelihoods to over 80 % of the total population (Suleiman and Rosentrater 2015).

Food insecurity remains the major challenge in Tanzania. About 15% of the rural household are food insecure (Jana et al. 2014). However, some regions in the country are more vulnerable to food insecurity than others. Most of these regions are located in semi-arid areas characterized by drought and unreliable rainfall (tanzanian_food_security_and_health.html)

The major risks faced by smallholder farmers are related to climate change (drought, excessive rainfall), outbreak of diseases and pests, and lack of access to improved technologies. It is expected that extreme drought and floods will become more frequent, intense and unpredictable in future (Mbilinyi et al., 2013). It is estimated that by 2050, yields of maize, sorghum, and rice will be reduced by 13%, 8.8% and 7.6% respectively due to climate change (Rowhani et al., 2011). Market risks faced include lack of market access for both inputs and outputs, price volatility and unreliable markets for agricultural goods. Financial risks include increased input costs and lack of adequate cash or credit. This calls for adoption of climate smart agriculture with emphasis on sustainable intensification on the cropping system.

Strategic Approach

SIMLESA established on-farm exploratory trials and on station long-term trials to test and scale out promising technologies across different agro-ecologies. Best bet CASI practices were selected based on research results and farmers preferences and scaled out through a competitive grant scheme (CGS) in which private seed company, NGO’s and Farmers networks.

KEY FINDINGS: From field stations to farmer fields

In this section we report on the key cross-cutting finding from SIMLESA research that have emerged across thematic areas of research. Details on research findings can be found in the SIMLESA Malawi Country Reports. The larger questions that SIMLESA sought to answer both in Malawi and other countries were as follows:

1. How can CASI increase farm-level food security, productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers?
2. In what ways does CASI contribute to more resilient farming systems, protecting the natural resource base and mitigate risks in the face of climate change?

• What are the impacts of CASI on equity and gender and how might resource-poor farmers especially benefit from this technology?

1. What market enhancements including seed systems and value chains are needed to encourage adoption of CASI?
2. What broader mechanisms through polices, institutions and markets and other partners are needed to support and scale CASI?