A research team from Dar es Salaam University carried out participatory research in two districts, Ngorongoro and Shinyanga, to identify which policy changes might strengthen rural food security. The research confirmed just how fragile smallholder farmers' and livestock keepers' livelihoods have become. Food security in both districts is acutely affected by external factors, such as mining and tourism.
Subsistence farming no longer supports families.
Other activities may provide extra income, but they also draw labour away from family farms and herds, which creates a vicious cycle. Women have to spend more time in market activities, which as well as increasing their workload, reduces the time the y have left to grow and provide food. Men and women prioritised issues differently. This was particularly marked in Ngorongoro, where the gender roles are more distinct and the women stressed the low level of social organisation in their villages. Traditionally, in time of food shortage women turn to co-wives, neighbours, and friends, on the understanding that assistance will be reciprocated later.