Scale Up Farmers Field and Business School project

Drone shot of the FFBS soybean demo plot. Photo: Raymond | Makutano Media

This project aims at increasing production, resilient to climate change, nutrition, income, gender equality and access to profitable market through the value chain of soybean and sunflower for women through the Farmers Field and Business Approach. Also, the project advocates to Influence the Government of Tanzania and Agriculture Research institutions to adopt the FFBS approach and to genuinely consider it when making decisions that impact changes to the curriculum and changes in agriculture sector.

Expected Project Outcomes:

Increased adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.
Improved farm productivity and yields.
Enhanced farmer business skills and income.
Strengthened market linkages and access to markets.
Improved food security and nutrition for participating farmers and their families

Project Achievements:

The project is working with 8,447 (2,682M & 5,765F) small-scale producers in 364 Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups.
The project has influenced the adoption of the Farmer Field and Business School model into National Agriculture Extension Guideline (NAEGs), particularly Farmer Field School guidelines by reviewing 2 guidelines and incorporation of the model into the University Curriculum on extension and crop science courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students by developing the textbooks.
The Department of Agricultural Extension and Community Development under the Sokoine University of Agriculture has developed three handbooks to support the revised curriculum that integrated FFBS components and gender transformative approaches. These courses are: AAE 354 Industrial Training III Farmer Field and Business School (FFBS), AEE 616 Gender Transformative Approaches in Agricultural Extension, AEE 721 Farmer Field and Business School (FFBS), and CRD 802: Gender Transformative Approaches for Community Resources Management and Development: Application to Farmer Field and Business School.
308 demonstration plots have been established in 62 villages out of targeted 308 demonstration plots in the duration of projects, this is equivalent to 100%. The demonstration plots are used for learning by doing to farmers and transferring of knowledge and agriculture skills to farmers and farmers in the nearby villages.

Success Story: Safia Soybean - A Transformational Journey of Women Farmers in Mlanda village

Safia Madenge, aged 39, is a woman farmer and a mother of three children living in Mlanda village in Iringa District. Her story serves as a testament to the Scale Up FFBS project’s contribution to empowering women farmers.

Success Story: Creating an Equal Future Through Good Agricultural Practices - Agnes Madati Story

This is the story of Agnes Madati who through adoption of the Good Agricultural Practices through the Scale Up Farmers and Field Business School project achieved remarkable achievement in her yield and at household level.

Improved Health and Nutrition in the Community Through the use of Soybean

The community members in Iringa District have been trained to process soybean for nutrition and for earning income through the sale of soybean nutritious flour. Using soybean nutritious flour, it has resulted to improved health and weight gain among the children and adults and treatment of weak joints.

Farmers Field Day: Showcasing the Impact of the FFBS Model in Mbeya

CARE Tanzania and MATI UYOLE hosted a Farmers Field Day in Mbeya to showcase the FFBS model's impact on small-scale farming.

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