SUAIRE (Sokoine Univ. of Agriculture)
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Revisiting chemical and microbiological quality and safety of fish and fish products
No full textJournal ArticleFish and fishery products constitute a primary global food source, providing essential protein and nutrients. Ensuring their
safety and quality throughout the supply chain is paramount. The safety and quality of fish and fish products are paramount
considerations in the global food industry but their quality and safety may be compromised at various stages of transport,
handling, and processing. The major contaminants of fish and fish products are chemical and microbiological in nature.
Chemical contaminants commonly found in fish, including heavy metals, pesticides, and persistent organic pollutants which pose
significant risks to consumers. Microbiological contaminants are both pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms such as
Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Vibrio spp which are often implicated in foodborne illnesses associated with seafood
consumption. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the chemical and microbiological contaminants facing the fish
industry while advocating for enhanced regulatory frameworks and sustainable practices to ensure consumer safety as well as
modern methods for detecting these microorganisms, including molecular techniques like PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and
biosensors that enhance detection sensitivity
Practices of E-Waste management among people living in African Cities: The case of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
No full textEast African Journal of Environment and Natural Resources pp. 73-88Rapid turnover in technology across the cities of the world creates a rapidly
growing e-waste stream. This is the case for the city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Currently, the city lacks the capacity for handling and recycling
the hazardous materials contained in e-waste. Further, Tanzania has neither a specific policy nor a law on e-waste management. The paper focuses on
e-waste management practices in Dar es Salaam. The key question is what are the practices of stakeholders in e-waste management in the city? This study was conducted in Ilala and Temeke municipalities in the city Participants for the study were purposively selected. The selection ensured the representation of key stakeholders in e-waste generation and
management. The number of participants for key stakeholders was
determined by the data saturation point, a point where no new information
was obtained. To gain an in-depth understanding, several ethnographic
methods were employed. Based, on the study findings, some of the practices
on e-waste management in the city of Dar es Salaam include: storing e-
waste, landfilling, reusing, selling, and recycling. Overall, the practices of
e-waste management in the city of Dar es Salaam remain informal and hence
lack any operational legal framework. Although the existing legal
framework for the management of e-waste has the potential for
operationalization, it has no clear guidelines or procedures. The authors are
aware that the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has developed
operational standards for e-waste management. However, the operational
standards remain inaccessible to other key Government entities, the public
and other key stakeholders. One, including Government agencies, must pay
to access them. The authors strongly recommend that the standards should
be made available free of charge and be operationalized at all levels. The
authors further recommend the development of suitable frameworks to deal with the management of e-waste, recycling, and circular economy
Influence of relative user satisfaction on sustainability of climate change adaptation practices: insights from Chamwino and Igunga agro-ecological zones, Tanzania
No full textJournal ArticleThe aim of this study was to examine the influence of Relative User Satisfaction (RUS) on the sustainability of Climate Change
Adaptation (CCA) practices in egro-ecological zones of Tanzania. Supported by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this
study focus on determining the influence of self-efficacy, subjective norms, usage experience, perceived risks, output quality, results
demonstrability, perceived image, compatibility, usability and relevance, on sustainability of CCA practices. The study employed a
cross sectional research design , involving 295 respondents who are households heads adopted CCA practices in Chamwino and
Igunga districts, with data collected through household questionnaires, Focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant
interviews (KIIs). Statistical analyses, including Descriptive statistics, Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and Multivariate
Ordered Probit model (MOVP) were performed. Results from the descriptive analysis indicated high preference of practices
including Trees Planting and use of Farmyard manure after funding, reasons being their simplicity, immediate benefits and
alignment with local knowledge. The findings from inferential analysis revealed that self-efficacy, perceived image, subjective
norms, usability and usage experience were positively and statistically influencing the sustainability of CCA practices after funding
period. Results from Multivariate Ordered Probit revealed Self-efficacy to have significant influence on soil water conservation
practices (β = 1.07, p < 0.001), Trees planting (β = 1.02, p < 0.001) and the use of farmyard manure (β = 0.99, p < 0.001). Perceived
image was also found statistical significant in influencing practices, with statistical significance p-value of 0.001. Subjective norms
was found crucial in influencing Ox-drain tillage practices (β = 0.99, p < 0.001), while usage experience and usability showed
moderate effects with statistical significance p-value of 0.01 and 0.05 respectively. The study finds that Self-efficacy, Perceived
image, Subjective norms and Usage experience serves as essential RUS factors in influencing the sustainability of CCA practices
after funding period. The study concludes that, ensuring sustainability of the practices require enhancing community participation,
simplicity of the practices and consideration of socio-economic factors. The study proposes establishment of targeted training, role
models system, incentive systems, monitoring frameworks and user-friendly guidelines to enhance self-efficacy, social influence,
and Usability for long-term implementatio
Women groundnut farmers’ participation in aflatoxin management interventions in Chemba district, Tanzania
No full textJournal articleThis study examined the nature of women groundnut farmers’ participation in aflatoxin management
interventions in Chemba District in Tanzania. The study employed a cross-sectional mixed-methods
research design involving quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Data were collected using a survey of
137 women groundnut farmers. Also, qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions and
key informant interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Specifically,
66.5% of women respondents were involved in the aflatoxin management interventions currently being
implemented in the study area, while 33.5% reported no participation in such interventions. Also, the
findings show that the recent TANIPAC project interventions were perceived positively to bring anticipated
positive economic changes and lessen aflatoxin contamination in the food system. Overall, women's
participation in interventions is crucial for effectively managing aflatoxin and reducing contamination within
the food system
Health and Nutrition Literacy among Community Health Workers in Rural and Urban Tanzania: A Comparative Study
No full textJournal ArticleIntroduction: Community health workers (CHWs) are vital in primary health care delivery, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the quality of their services is often questioned due to their limited training compared to professional healthcare providers. Despite evidence of CHWs’ contributions to health and nutrition in Tanzania, the country continues to face high levels of malnutrition and preventive diseases. This underscores the need to evaluate CHWs’ literacy in health and nutrition to enhance their role in promoting these areas. This paper aimed to assess health and nutrition literacy among Community Health Workers (CHWs) in rural and urban Tanzania while exploring factors influencing these literacy levels.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted in Pwani and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, involved 194 CHWs, who were obtained using Yamane’s formula for sample size determination. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews using the adapted European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) for health literacy and the Short Food Literacy Questionnaire (SFLQ) for nutrition literacy. Pearson correlation analysed the association between nutrition literacy (NL) and health literacy (HL), while multinomial logistic regression identified factors influencing HL and NL among CHWs.
Results: Our study found limited health literacy among CHWs to be higher in rural areas (24.5%) than in urban areas (17.6%), while health literacy rates were higher in urban (31.9%) compared to rural (22.9%). Regression analysis showed limited health literacy was significantly associated with age (P = 0.048, OR = 1.041, 95% CI), area of residence (P = 0.002, OR = 0.318, 95% CI) and supervision frequency (P = 0.01, OR = 5.266, 95% CI). Limited nutrition literacy was significantly associated with weekly time spent on CHW activities (P = 0.006, OR = 0.183, 95% CI), age (P = 0.013, OR = 1.050, 95% CI) and area of residence (P = 0.008, OR = 0.387, 95% CI). The correlation between health literacy and nutrition literacy had a Pearson coefficient of 0.517 (P = 0.000).
Conclusion: Our study shows a higher prevalence of limited health and nutrition literacy among rural CHWs than urban ones, with area of residence being the most decisive associated factor. The area of residence is the strongest associated factor for NL and HL. Policymakers can use the identified factors in areas with similar social demographic characteristics to improve community-based health intervention that will, in turn, improve the health and nutrition outcomes of the community
Farmers’ knowledge, attitude, and motivation for adoption of climate-smart agroforestry in two contrasting agroecosystems of Rwanda
No full textJournal ArticleGlobally, the experiences show that climate-smart agroforestry (CSAF) can contribute to sustainable agricultural
growth and rural transformation while tackling climate change. This study evaluated the interplay between
farmers’ knowledge, attitude, and motivation to adopt CSAF. The study used data from 381 farmers surveyed in
Bugesera and Rulindo regions, Rwanda. Bugesera, in the semi-arid savannah lowlands, and Rulindo, in the
temperate central highlands, were purposively selected for their distinct physiographic features. A questionnaire
was used to collect the data and descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and binomial logistic regression were
performed for data analysis. The results from the correlation analysis showed that various revealed factors,
including gender, civil status, education, household size, household poverty level (ubudehe), farm size, farmers’
experience in CSAF, ownership of radio and mobile phone, livestock herd size, farm-river distance, training, and
extension visits, influenced farmers’ knowledge in adopting CSAF. The most significant positive correlation was
found between owning a mobile phone and farmers’ knowledge, while the weakest positive correlation existed
between farmers’ gender and their knowledge of CSAF. These factors equally affected farmers’ attitudes, except
for statistically insignificant gender. The most significant positive correlation was between owning a mobile
phone and farmers’ attitudes, while the weakest was between extension visits and farmers’ attitudes towards
CSAF. Further, results revealed a positively significant relationship between the farmers’ ages and their motivation
to adopt CSAF. Additionally, the binomial logit regression analysis showed that farmers knowledgeable
with CSAF were 2.5 times more likely to practice CSAF than farmers without such knowledge. Moreover, being
motivated by CSAF benefits increased the likelihood of adopting CSAF by 0.6 times compared to unmotivated
farmers. By filling the gap in understanding farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and motivations toward CSAF
adoption, this study contributes to advancing sustainable agricultural practices in Rwanda. It provides a blueprint
for similar initiatives elsewhere.Sciences, Engineering and Technology-Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (PASET-RSIF) and Carnegie Corporation of New Yor
Impact of logging practices on second-generation stand growth of Pinus patula at Sao hill forest plantation in Tanzania
No full textJournal ArticleLogging is a fundamental component of
forest management, facilitating the
establishment of new stands through the
removal of mature trees. However, logging
operations often induce substantial soil
disturbances, which may adversely affect
the growth of second-generation stands.
This study aimed to assess the impact of
logging on the growth of second-generation
Pinus patula stands at Sao Hill Plantation,
Tanzania (SHFP), specifically focusing on
the impacts of logging on stand growth and
forest soil. Six compartments, three from
each generation, representing stand ages of
1, 3, and 6 years, totaling 180 systematically
sampled plots, each measuring 20 x 20
meters. First- and second-generation stands
were treated as experimental groups. An
independent t-test was used to analyze the
impact of logging on stand growth across
generations. Stand growth parameters
including the number of stems, tree height,
and diameter at breast height (DBH)
decreased by 6.5% to 12.3% in secondgeneration
stands compared to firstgeneration
stands. Soil bulk density in
second-generation stand increased by 25.7%
and 26.2% in the top 10 cm and 20 cm of
soil, respectively, compared to the firstgeneration
stand. The findings emphasize
the critical role of adopting reduced-impact
logging techniques to minimize soil
compaction, thereby supporting the longterm
productivity
Food safety knowledge and microbial status of food contact surfaces in Primary Schools in Morogoro Municipal, Tanzania
No full textJournal ArticleIntroduction: Several outbreaks of foodborne illnesses to school children have been reported in
different countries where food service workers are quested to be responsible due to poor knowledge
and practices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the food safety knowledge among food
service workers and microbial status of food contact surfaces in private primary school in Morogoro
Municipal, Tanzania.
Methods: This study involved 60 food service workers who were purposively selected from 8 private
primary schools. A structured questionnaire and checklist were employed to assess their food safety
knowledge, and a total of 75 samples from food contact surfaces (cups, spoons, and plates) were
collected from school kitchens for microbiological analysis.
Results: The study involved 60 food service workers, with the majority being female (73.3%) and
married (65%). Education levels ranged from primary to secondary school (41.7%), with the least
illiterate (3.3%). The survey demonstrated a significant level of food safety knowledge, with an average
score of 81%. The study indicates that food service workers recognize the need for hand hygiene, with
96.6% washing their hands before and after food preparation, and 96.6% asserting that it mitigates the
risk of food contamination. The study found moderate contamination levels in cups and plates, with
mean total viable count (TVC) values ranging from 2.19 to 2.67 log CFU/ml, and total coliform count
(TCC) in various schools (0 to 1.23 log CFU/ml). E. coli contamination in food service indicates gaps in
hygienic practices, despite workers' awareness of cleanliness and personal hygiene. E. coli
contamination was detected in cups in school A and E, with 20% contamination in cups and 40%
contamination in plates, indicating possible faecal contamination.
Conclusion: The study found that while school food service personnel have a moderate food safety
knowledge, they still struggle with microbial contamination on food contact surfaces. The detection
of E. coli on certain surfaces highlights deficiencies in hygiene protocols, possibly due to insufficient
training, resources, or incentives
Agro-meteorological services in the era of climate change: a bibliometric review of research trends, knowledge gaps, and global collaboration
No full textJournal ArticleIntroduction: Agro-meteorological services are crucial for mitigating climate
variability’s impact on agriculture and enhancing food security. Despite their
importance, the global research landscape in this field remains underexplored.
This study examines the evolution of agro meteorological research from 2010 to
2024, focusing on trends, contributors, and regional developments.
Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Dimensions database,
with visualizations created via VOSviewer. The study analyzed publication trends,
key institutions, authors, journals, and subject clusters. Statistical correlations
assessed collaboration and institutional impact.
Results: The results revealed that publications increased steadily, peaking
in 2020 (r = 0.92, p < 0.01), reflecting emphasis on sustainability and climate
adaptation. Collaborative publications correlated strongly with institutional
impact (r = 0.75, p < 0.01), led by Wageningen University and the University
of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Sustainability and The Science of the Total
Environment were key journals. Sub- Saharan Africa and South Asia showed
significant research growth (r = 0.85, p < 0.01).
Discussion: The results highlight the field’s global, interdisciplinary scope and
rising contributions from developing regions. However, capacity gaps and
limited integration of indigenous knowledge persist. Inclusive partnerships and
capacity building are essential to strengthen agro meteorological services and
address climate challenges effectively