Determinants of participating in non-farm economic activities in rural Zanzibar.
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Date
2011
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Abstract
This study set out to examine the determinants of participation in non-farm economic
activities by farming households in rural Zanzibar, using data from the Agriculture
Census of 2003. The study goes beyond the traditional focus of non-farm studies that
focus on analysing geographical and socio-economic variables on decisions to participate
in non-farm activities and in so doing, fills an information gap and contributes to the
understanding of determinants of farm household participation in non-farm activities in
rural Zanzibar.
The survey from which data were drawn, included surveys of 4755 household heads.
Descriptive statistics and logistic regression model were applied to investigate the effect
of individual characteristics on the decision to participate in non-farm economic
activities. Gender, age, family size and level of education were used as variables to
explain individual preference with regard to the decision to undertake non-farm
economic activities. The analysis also included farm production factors including farm
size, planted area and the main source of household income.
The results show that gender, age, household size and income sources outside agriculture
are the key factors that influence farming household’s decisions to participate in non-farm
activities. Women and young farmers were more likely to participate in non-farm
activities. Heads of larger households were also more likely to participate in non-farm
activities, and undertake more than one activity in this sector. The type of activity
engaged in also seems to have a positive influence on the decision to participate in the
non-farm sector, with selling of agricultural products, fishing (including seaweed farming
and selling of fish), wage employment and petty trade being more popular and attractive
activities. Factors like education, landholding size and area of land planted were less
important in influencing participation in non-farm activities.
All sampled households participated in non-farm economic activities, with 70 per cent of
the participants undertaking more than four activities simultaneously. This points to the
importance of non-farm economic activities in providing opportunities to sustain
household food security and increase the capacity for households to mitigate shocks.
However, a strong relationship was found between participation in non-farm activities
and the use of forest resources, as a significant number of activities depend on forest
resources. The forest-based non-farm activities reported were: beekeeping, charcoal
making and tree logging for poles, timber and firewood. This raises significant concern
over the over-utilization of forest resources and subsequent sustainability of the related
activities.
It is recommended that efforts towards promoting non-farm economic activities should
be directed towards developing non-farm activities that are not dependent on forest
resources. Interventions enabling increased farm productivity or non-forest activities are
important in ensuring food security in Zanzibar. More policy and programme attention
should be given to the role of women in non-farm activities.
Description
Thesis (M.Agric.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.
Keywords
Agriculture--Economic aspects--Zanzibar., Agricultural productivity--Zanzibar., Farmers--Zanzibar., Farms, Small--Zanzibar., Households--Zanzibar., Rural industries--Zanzibar., Food supply--Zanzibar., Food security--Zanzibar., Zanzibar--Rural conditions., Theses--Food security.