Climate Change Coping Strategies Analysis Of Coffee Smallholders Farmers in Rombo District, Tanzania

Abstract

Coffee production, which heavily depends on climate and natural resources, faces potential challenges from climate change. This study aims to assess how small-scale coffee farmers in Tanzania's Rombo District are adapting to climate change and their methods of coffee cultivation. The specific objective of the study is to analyse the impact of climate change on coffee production among smallholder farmers in Rombo District, examine their perceptions of climate change, and investigate how key coping strategies influence their coffee cultivation. Theory of Change was used to guide the study. A descriptive survey design was used in the study. This study targeted a sample size of 168 respondents. Key informants were selected through purposive sampling, while a stratified sampling technique was employed to sample smallholder coffee farmers. Data collection involved questionnaires for smallholder coffee farmers, key informant interviews, and documentary reviews. To ensure the validity of the research instruments, face and content validity were applied, while the Cronbach Alpha technique was utilised to assess reliability. For quantitative data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted using SPSS version 27. Qualitative data analysis was performed through content analysis. The study found that climate change significantly impacts coffee production among smallholder farmers. The study found that smallholder coffee farmers in Rombo District perceive climate change through key factors such as education, access to climate information, farming experience, environmental awareness, and institutional support. The ordered logit regression results revealed significant p-values for gender (0.027), marital status (0.041), temperature change (0.005), humidity (0.026), extreme weather conditions (0.032), and soil nutrients (≤ 0.001), indicating their substantial influence on coffee production among smallholder farmers in Rombo District. The study found that key coping strategies, including effective water management, pest and disease control, soil moisture conservation, shade provision, and the planting of drought-tolerant coffee varieties, positively influence coffee production among smallholder farmers. Ordinal Logistic Regression analysis and descriptive analysis was used to analyse data. Gender and marital status significantly affect productivity, with male and married farmers achieving higher yields due to better resource access and labour support. The study concluded that soil nutrients are the most critical factor for optimising yields, underscoring the importance of robust soil management. The study recommended that smallholder farmers should be encouraged to conduct regular soil tests to assess nutrient levels and identify deficiencies. Government agencies and agricultural extension services should provide farmers with training on soil management best practices, focusing on the importance of soil nutrients in optimising yields.