The Role of Participatory Communication in Promoting Organic Farming in Bunda District Tanzania

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Date

2012-04

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Daystar University, School of Communication

Abstract

The involvement of stakeholders with different levels of knowledge in development project is vital, for, this fulfils the Swahili saying Umoja ni nguvu (unity is power). People cannot be involved in any development project without communicating to each other; there should be interaction between development officers and the target people. Appropriate methods of communication can lead to successful project implementation, monitoring and evaluation.Many development experts agree that, some agricultural projects fail due to the exclusion of farmers in the designing, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and decision making for agricultural development; and the use of inappropriate methods of communication. This study sought to find out the role of participatory communication in promoting organic farming in Bunda District in Tanzania. The respondents were from 10 villages of Bunda District and they participated in filling the questionnaires, and interviews. The research applied both qualitative and quantitative analysis of data. This study is important to farmers and agricultural experts who want to be helpful to the Tanzanian society in giving technical advice as an effort for organic farming development. Tanzania’s economy depends on agriculture this also made this research important in promoting agriculture. The findings revealed that the farmers were not fully involved in the farming project for agricultural officers are few in the area of study. If participatory communication between agricultural officers and farmers was effectively applied this could lead into a successful organic farming. A bigger number of male farmers turned up for research and they participated in organic farming more than female farmers.Recommendations have been made to: agricultural officers to involve farmers in all the stages of the project by using participatory communication, and the ministry of agriculture to provide enough agricultural officers. Further study will be needed to find out why a bigger number of male farmers turned up for research and were involved in organic farming than female farmers.

Description

MASTER OF ARTS in Communication

Keywords

District Agricultural Sector Investment Project, Gross Domestic Product, Organic Agriculture or Organic Farming, Participatory Action Research

Citation

Mkangala, C. N. (2012). The Role of Participatory Communication in Promoting Organic Farming in Bunda District Tanzania. Daystar University, School of Communication