1.
UNDERSTANDING THE DRIVERS OF
DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION
COMMODITIES-GENDER NEXUS IN
TANZANIA
Mercure Paris La Villette Hotel, Paris, France
3th
December, 2015
A. Z. Sangeda, D.D. Maleko and G.C. Kajembe
(Sokoine University of Agriculture-Tanzania)

2.
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Introduction
Analytical framework
Methodology
Findings
Conclusions
Policy Action Measures-REDD+
(implications)

3.
COMMODITIES
 Charcoal making
 Simsim (Sesamum
indicum) farming

4.
Introduction
• Emissions from land use changes, are responsible for
anthropogenic emissions (30%)
• Shifting cultivation and charcoal making are the major
traditional drivers of deforestation
• Charcoal and Simsim are commercialized commodities
• Tanzania is the 12th
among those having largest forest
loss per year in Africa.
• An estimated 90% of the country’s energy needs are
satisfied through the use of woodfuels.

5.
Infrastructure
development
•Settlements
•Urban expansion
•Mining
Wood extraction
•Charcoal production
•Wood fuel collection
•Logging
Agricultural
expansion
•Shifting cultivation
•Agriculture
extensification
Environmental
factors
•Uncontrolled fires
DIRECT or PROXIMATE DRIVERS
UNDERLYING DRIVERS
Policy & Legal
framework
•Inconsistencies
•Weak
Socio-economic
•Poverty
•Low employment
opportunities
•Insecure land tenure
Demographic
•Population growth
•Immigration
•Population density
Institutional
•Poor funding
•Low staffing levels
•Lack of transport
•Low staff morale
Environmental
•Climate variability
•Soils
•Topography
Forest LOSS

6.
About charcoal…
• The annual consumption of about 500,000 tons in Dar
es Salaam
• HHs using charcoal for cooking in DSM has increased
from 47% to 71% between 2001 and 2007
• Unregistered activities in charcoal with estimated
revenue loss of about US$100 million per year.

7.
About Simsim..
• Grown to respond to declining crops (cotton and
cashew nuts), not vulnerable to damage by wildlife,
short rotation -profitable
• In 2013, Tanzania was among the five top producers of
Simsim worldwide.
• Myanmar was a leading with 0.89 m tons (0.56ton/ha)
while Tanzania was the fifth with 0.42 m tons (0.67
ton/ha)
• Cash crop in Southern, Eastern, Central and Northern
parts of Tanzania
• Importers :Japan, USA, Netherlands, Canada and France

8.
About simsim…
• Price setting and taxation systems are arbitrary
• Climate change stress which increases production
costs for agricultural inputs
• Low associative ability with other crops
• Shade intolerant, thus require pollarding of trees
or clear cutting for appealing yields

9.
REDD+ Readiness in Tanzania
• Completed 9 REDD+ pilot projects (2008-2012)
• National REDD+ strategy (2013) with Action Plan
• National REDD+ safeguards developed (2014)
• Completed a comprehensive country-wide forest
inventory programme (NAFORMA-2013/14)
• National Carbon Monitoring center (MRV-2015)

10.
REDD revenue distribution model-Trial payment in
Kilosa, Tanzania (TFCG, 2012)
 TZS 73,234,540/=M
1,205 men, 1,272 women and 2,015 children
5 villages

11.
Analytical framework
• The underlying causes of land use degradation are defined
by the needs of men and women (daily subsistence, energy,
and other products)
• Search for income, employment opportunities, generation
of revenue etc. determine the extent of drivers and actors.
• ??How can these needs be reconciled to meet sustainability
and livelihoods of men and women who depend on land
resources?

12.
Methodology

13.
KILOSA KILWAKISARAWE
STUDY SITES IN TANZANIA

14.
Sampling and Data collection
• PRA (Dec 2014 to Jan 2015) targeting charcoal producers and
simsim growers –Reconnaissance survey (60 participants in three
villages)
• HH questionnaire survey-March to April 2015 (178 respondents)
60% male and 40% female in six villages.
• Informal interviews (semi-structured questionnaires) - actors in the
production and value chain of the two commodities
• Local level feedback discussions –validation of findings
• National stakeholders discussion-policy implications

15.
Key findings- Charcoal
• Charcoal production is done by both men and
women (women are taking over)
• Limited signs of sustainability of charcoal
business in Tanzania (procedural-equity).
– luck legal framework, benefit sharing structures and skills to
improve efficiency and recovery
• Charcoal is profitable but distribution is unevenly
along the value chain (distributive-equity) except
under sustainable charcoal project-Kilosa District

16.
District Village Price/ 100Kg bag
(T.Shs)
Production
costs/100kg bag
(T.Shs)
Profit margin
Kilosa Nyali 9,900 6,806 3,094
Zombo 12,091 7,025 5,066
Kisarawe Gwata 13,778 7,580 6,198
Vikumbulu 13,400 4,749 8,651
Kilwa Migeregere 12,100 6,489 5,611
Nanjiringi A 16,615 6,300 10,315
Overall 12,573 6,250 6,323
Profit margin for charcoal in 100kg bags in the 3 study districts, April, 2015

17.
Findings Charcoal…
• Females are benefiting more from the charcoal
business as compared to men.
• Women are in the most profitable nodes of the value
chain (wholesalers and retailers)
• Due to grants and loans offered to females (WWF),
they tend to take over from men in charcoal
business.

18.
Value chain analysis for charcoal production in the study sites
Tree species identification and felling (Males and Females)
Packing (Males & Females)
Staking, soiling work and firing (Males & Females)
Loading and unloading (Males)
Transporting (Males & Females)
Cross-cutting (Males and Females)
Retailing (Females)

19.
Charcoal value chain and net profits per 100Kg bag for various actors
Producer (Males and
Females)
Net profit (US$ 2.2)
Wholesaler (Males
and females)
Net profit (US$ 4.5)
Retailer (Females)
Net profit (US$ 3.7)
Consumer (Males and
Females)
Local trader (Males)
Net profit (US$ 3.2)

20.
Findings -Simsim
• More than 50% of farmers use traditional breeds of simsim
seeds although improved seeds such as Naliendele 92, Ziada
94 and Lindi 02 exist.
• Although farmers apply pesticides, they do not use fertilizers
in simsim production.
• Shifting cultivation is declining due to strict bylaws by village
governments
• Gender roles are gradually changing (more men and youth)
due to commercialization.

21.
Yields with associated costs and benefits of Simsim in the study sites for 2014-
2015 (N=129) (1 USD =1900 Tshs)
District Village Average
yield/acre
(Kg)
Average
price/Kg
(TShs)
Average
revenue/acre/
annum (TShs)
Average total
costs/acre/
annum (TShs)
Profit
margin
(TShs)
Kilosa Nyali 189 1,985 374,029 221,606 152,423
Zombo 201 2,052 411,596 227,139 184,457
Kisarawe Gwata 115 1,769 204,472 182,558 21,915
Vikumbulu 121 2,011 244,119 184,000 60,119
Kilwa Migeregere 154 2,161 331,321 225,685 105,636
Nanjilinji A 158 2,085 330,032 225,096 104,937
Overall 163 2,014 329,017 213,543 115,474

22.
Findings…
• Market potential is very high but yield is still
very low (low input low output)
• High nutrient mining as there is no
intercropping or mixed farming
• Simsim production is profitable and it attracts
many youth due to its short rotation 4-5 months

23.
Effects of charcoal and simsim production to land
use cover change
“Many village lands are bare because, they are
harvested for charcoal making in the name of
crop farming”
There is a relationship between simsim farming and
charcoal making

24.
Example of effect of shifting cultivation on
vegetation cover in Kilosa

25.
Land cover and land-use
Symbol Land-cover Land-use
Bush land Short fallow shifting
cultivation
Closed
woodland
Forest reserve 2
Forest Forest reserve 1
Grass land Permanent agriculture
Open woodland Long fallow shifting
cultivation

26.
Land cover and land-use …
Change detection
performed in
ArcMap 10
-Identification of
different land-
cover and land-use
transitions
1995
2012

27.
Conclusion
• Charcoal and simsim are major drivers of forest
degradation and deforestation in the study areas.
• All actors in the value chain do benefit from the
current land uses (charcoal making and simsim
production).
• Men and youth benefit more in simsim value
chain while women do in charcoal value chain.
• Formalization/legalization of charcoal production
improves benefit sharing and therefore more
equity among the actors.

28.
Policy action measures (implications for
REDD+)
 Raise awareness and empowerment of all gender
categories/actors on sustainable charcoal/simsim
production along their value chains.
 Promote improved charcoal technologies
 Support Ministry of Energy to finalize and implement
Biomass Energy strategies
• Assist intensification of simsim through strategies to control
weeds/pests
• To promote land-use tenure rights through effective land-
use planning

29.
This research was funded by UK aid
from the UK Government, however the
views expressed do not necessarily
reflect the views of the UK Government.