Abstract
Climate change and the resulting increased drought periods contribute to farmers' problems in Tanzania, but their core problem is low agricultural productivity. Between 2011 and 2014, the Swiss Capacity Building Facility
(SCBF), a non -governmental organization (NGO) financed by ten private Swiss insurance companies, funded four projects in Tanzania aiming to introduce crop insurances for maize farmers in the Iringa, Mwanza and Arusha
regions to help them to move from using traditional maize seeds, which they would save each year, to hybrid seeds sold by commercial companies. These seeds require expenditure on additional inputs, which means the
farmers risk losing the investments if the harvest is lower than expected. The hybrid seed is available, but it requires other actors and instruments to give small-scale farmers access to these innovations. This helps to
develop the necessary ecosystem for Climate Smart Agriculture and Water (CSA&W).
To assess the impact of this Weather Index based crop insurance for Tanzanian maize farmers, which intended to mitigate this risk, a survey has been undertaken by the author. In total 200 farmers were interviewed, using
cluster sampling. The objective is to analyze the impact of the crop insurance introduced with the support of SCBF and its effect on household's income and assets and on agricultural productivity. In this paper we also
analyze to what extent the ecosystem used to introduce crop insurance was optimal and what the needs of the farmers are concerning this ecosystem. Finally, the question is asked whether this is an example of introducing
Climate smart agriculture and water, using frugal innovation in a Triple Helix construction?
(SCBF), a non -governmental organization (NGO) financed by ten private Swiss insurance companies, funded four projects in Tanzania aiming to introduce crop insurances for maize farmers in the Iringa, Mwanza and Arusha
regions to help them to move from using traditional maize seeds, which they would save each year, to hybrid seeds sold by commercial companies. These seeds require expenditure on additional inputs, which means the
farmers risk losing the investments if the harvest is lower than expected. The hybrid seed is available, but it requires other actors and instruments to give small-scale farmers access to these innovations. This helps to
develop the necessary ecosystem for Climate Smart Agriculture and Water (CSA&W).
To assess the impact of this Weather Index based crop insurance for Tanzanian maize farmers, which intended to mitigate this risk, a survey has been undertaken by the author. In total 200 farmers were interviewed, using
cluster sampling. The objective is to analyze the impact of the crop insurance introduced with the support of SCBF and its effect on household's income and assets and on agricultural productivity. In this paper we also
analyze to what extent the ecosystem used to introduce crop insurance was optimal and what the needs of the farmers are concerning this ecosystem. Finally, the question is asked whether this is an example of introducing
Climate smart agriculture and water, using frugal innovation in a Triple Helix construction?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Climate Smart Agriculture and Water in the Global South: Experiences with support of the Nuffic |
| Subtitle of host publication | Proceedings of a seminar at MSM on March 25, 2021 |
| Editors | M.P. van Dijk, H. Nijhoff, D. de Boer |
| Publisher | Maastricht School of Management (MSM) |
| Pages | 56-63 |
| Publication status | Published - 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |