Integrating the soybean-maize-chicken value chains to attain nutritious diets in Tanzania

Abstract

In Tanzania, diets are dominated by starchy staple crops such as maize, levels of malnutrition are high and largely attributed to lack of dietary diversity. We employed fuzzy cognitive mapping to understand the current soybean, maize and chicken value chains, to highlight stakeholder relationships and to identify entry points for value chain integration to support nutritious diets in Tanzania. The fuzzy cognitive maps were constructed based on information gathered during household interviews with 569 farming households, followed by a participatory workshop with 54 stakeholders involved in the three value chains. We found that the soybean, maize and chicken value chains were interconnected, particularly at the level of the smallholder farming systems and at processing facilities. Smallholder farming households were part of one or more value chains. Chicken feed is an important entry point for integrating the three value chains, as maize and soybean meal are the main sources of energy and protein for chicken. Unlike maize, the utilization of soybean in chicken feed is limited, mainly due to inadequate quality of processing of soybean grain into meal. As a result, the soybean grain produced by smallholders is mainly exported to neighbouring countries for further processing, and soybean meal is imported at relatively high prices. Enhancing local sourcing and adequate processing of soybean, coupled with strengthening the integration of smallholder farmers with other soybean, maize and chicken value chain actors offers an important opportunity to improve access to nutritious diets for local people. Our method revealed the importance of interlinkages that integrate the value chains into a network within domestic markets.

The diversity of smallholder chicken farming in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania reveals a range of underlying production constraints

“…We confirmed the existence of the 3 main production systems that had been initially proposed ( Wilson et al, 2021 ); that is, free-range/extensive production, semi-intensive, and intensive systems both in urban and rural locations. Nevertheless, we felt the need to make subdivisions within these types based on the outcome of our survey.…”

“…Thus, in Iringa on one hand, the small-scale farms own small flocks under a low input-output system while relying on scavenging and/or partial feeding and producing their own chicks using natural hatching as for most developing countries ( Pius et al, 2021 ). On the other hand, the medium-large scale farmers buy feed and feed ingredients as well as the 1-day-old chicks from the feed companies, hatcheries and/or selling agents ( Wilson et al, 2021 ). Based on the subdivision of the farming systems, we found that while the intensification of small-scale farming systems is highly constrained by limited access to quality feed, the development of the medium-large scale farms is constrained by a limited supply of 1-day-old chicks.…”

“…The recent introduction of the improved dual-purpose chickens (Sasso and Kuroiler breeds) has enormous potential due to their high genetic potential and adaptability in semi-scavenging systems ( Sanka et al, 2020 ; Guni et al, 2021 ) that might be affordable for resource-poor farmers. The establishment of local hatcheries in the Iringa region is of great advantage to ensure a reliable supply of day-old chicks ( Wilson et al, 2021 ). Nevertheless, there is a need to increase their capacity to reduce the seasonal lack of day-old chicks, including the exotic broilers serving the peak market from mid-September to December that we observed in the present study.…”

“…For the representation of urban and rural locations, three administrative districts were selected from the Iringa region namely Iringa municipality with urban farmers and Kilolo and Iringa districts with rural chicken farmers ( Figure 2 ). The districts were selected based on the intensification gradient we observed earlier in urban and rural areas, potential in the commercialization of chicken production, the existence of grain millers, feed processors, and hatcheries established over the past decade ( Wilson et al, 2021 ). The three districts comprised 60 administrative wards in urban and rural, respectively.…”

“…The households interviewed were keeping indigenous, improved crossbred and/or exotic chickens. Preliminary backyard, semi-intensive and intensive systems were distinguished based on a gradient of increasing controlled environments in terms of housing, feeding, and veterinary care (see also Wilson et al, 2021 ) to check whether all types were represented in our sample.…”