Stakeholders’ views and perceptions on emerging conflicts with respect to apiculture in the western Usambara mountains, Tanzania

Abstract: 
The study identified key stakeholders and their interests and analyzed socio-economic factors influencing the perceptions and resource use conflicts of apiculture as an intervention towards improved natural resource management (NRM) by local communities in Lushoto district in Tanzania. Opinions from 98 respondents selected through a purposive, stratified simple random sampling were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed that the majority of the farming community (61.4%) perceived apiculture as a reliable source of income and would adopt it as a complementary activity. There was a significant relationship between occurrence of resource use conflicts and age (P = 0.044); nature of conflict (P = 0.006); level of interest (P = 0.038) and duration of residence in the area (0.091). Farmers in the area had favourable perception towards apiculture. Measures should therefore be taken to sustain the favourable attitude of farmers towards apiculture to enhance NRM. In order to promote apiculture industry in Lushoto district, the study recommends a stepped up and focussed approach for mobilisation of beekeepers, capacity building and establishment of coordinated marketing system.
L’étude a identifié les principaux intervenants et leurs intérêts et ont analysé les facteurs socio-économiques qui influencent les perceptions et les conflits dans l’utilisation des ressources de l’apiculture comme une intervention en matière de gestion améliorée des ressources naturelles (GRN) par les communautés locales dans le district de Lushoto en en Tanzanie. Les opinions de 98 répondants sélectionnés à travers un objet, l’échantillonnage stratifié aléatoire simple ont été analysées à l’aide de statistiques descriptives et différentielles. Les résultats ont montré que la majorité de la communauté agricole (61,4%) utilise l’apiculture comme une source fiable de revenus et l’adoptera comme une activité complémentaire. Il y avait une relation significative entre la présence de conflits d’utilisation des ressources et l’âge (P = 0,044), la nature du conflit (P = 0,006), le niveau d’intérêt (P = 0,038) et la durée de résidence dans la zone (0,091). Les agriculteurs de la région avaient la perception favorable à l’apiculture. Des mesures devraient donc être prises pour maintenir l’attitude favorable des agriculteurs vers l’apiculture afin d’améliorer la GRN. Afin de promouvoir l’industrie apicole dans le district de Lushoto, l’étude recommande une approche renforcée et ciblée pour la mobilisation des apiculteurs, le renforcement des capacités et l’établissement du système de coordonnées de commercialisation.
Language: 
English
Date of publication: 
2010
Country: 
Region Focus: 
East Africa
University/affiliation: 
Collection: 
RUFORUM Conferences and Workshops
Licence conditions: 
Open Access
Access restriction: 
Form: 
Printed resource
Publisher: 
Extent: 
1213-1217
Notes: 

About the RUFORUM 2010 Biennal Conference
"The 2010 RUFORUM Biennial Conference was the second in the series. The main objective of the Biennial conferences is to provide a platform for agricultural research for development stakeholders in Africa and beyond to actively exchange findings and experiences, while at the same time learning lessons towards improving performance of the agricultural sector and ultimately people’s livelihoods. The biennial conference is RUFORUM’s most comprehensive meeting for the diversity of stakeholders in agriculture. It is especially dedicated to graduate students and their supervisors, grantees in RUFORUM member universities and alumni. It is a platform for peer review, quality control, mentorship, networking and shared learning. This record contains an extended abstract accepted under the theme of Animal Science"