ABSTRACT

Indigenous crops are often neglected in development research, largely because they are grown in particular localities and only account for modest shares of agricultural production at a national level. This article aims to rectify this neglect with respect to the Bambara groundnut using a mixed methods study of farmers in Mtwara, Tanzania. The interest is in determining the importance of the crop in local production patterns and livelihoods, as well as potential levers for improved utilisation. Using the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods framework, we show that the crop is popular and recognised for its agronomic and nutritional properties. It is grown as an additional (or marginal) rather than main crop, with most growers reporting meeting consumption and food security needs as their primary motivation. The absence of markets constitutes a strong barrier towards sales of Bambara, and many farmers report being deterred from growing it for that reason.

摘要

在发展研究中，往往忽略了土著作物，这主要是因为它们在特定的地方种植，并且仅占国家一级农业生产的适度份额。本文旨在通过对坦桑尼亚姆特瓦拉（Mtwara）农民的混合研究来纠正对班巴拉花生的这种忽视。兴趣在于确定农作物在当地生产方式和生计中的重要性，以及提高利用水平的潜在手段。使用可持续农村生计框架，我们证明了该农作物因其农艺和营养特性而受到人们的欢迎和认可。它是作为一种附加作物（或边际作物）而不是主要作物种植的，大多数种植者报告满足消费和粮食安全需求是其主要动机。