Scaling agroforestry for holistic climate resilience-building in rural Tanzania (SCARF)

State of implementation/results

• Project completed.
• Farmers involved in the project continuously receive technical support from the local project partner SAT. Thanks to this support, new tree nurseries have been established, and approximately 10,749 tree seedlings were transplanted.
• Demonstration plots were established in all eight SCARF villages, with each plot tailored to the specific challenges of its village. Over 350 farmers participated in setting up the demonstration plots. Subsequently, farmers trained by the project established 156 so-called “baby plots.”
• Agroforestry training reached 49 extension workers and local government staff.
• Already in 2024, the project identified four agroforestry packages for training and adoption by farmers: intercropping with fruit trees, forest plots for timber and/or firewood production, integration of fertilizer trees and rainwater harvesting, and slopes planted with fodder crops.
• Climate modelling and process-based modelling were used to assess climate change in Tanzania under different emission scenarios and to evaluate the effectiveness of selected agroforestry strategies in supporting adaptation across different cropping systems and farmers. The modelling results are made available via the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) website.
• Farmer trainings on agroforestry packages and other sustainable agricultural practices were conducted at the SAT Training Centre in Morogoro. Farmers were trained in seed collection and propagation of target trees, the establishment of tree nurseries, and the co-benefits of agroforestry practices.
• Workshops were held in all eight SCARF villages to identify suitable agroforestry technologies. Each workshop involved 10–12 farmers, with female participation ranging from 30 to 50%. The workshops included focus group discussions and aimed to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different agroforestry technologies from the farmers’ perspectives.
• In 2023, a stakeholder workshop took place in Dodoma with 18 participants, including representatives of farmers, extension workers, local government officials, other key stakeholders, and project team members. The workshop introduced the project, presented initial results from the modelling activities, and discussed major challenges and opportunities in the two project regions regarding agricultural production and climate change. The results of these discussions informed the selection of agroforestry technologies.

Latest Update:
12/2025