Socio-Economic Impacts of Smallholder Tobacco Farming on Livelihoods. A Case of Mvurwi Tarastore Area

Abstract

Tobacco is a strategic crop in Zimbabwe in that, it creates employment and it is a means for earning foreign currency which is vital for development in all forms. Smallholder tobacco farming has been adopted by Mvurwi Tarastore Area in Mazoe District, Mashonaland Central Province as a livelihood strategy. From a smallholder tobacco farmer population of 225 farmers, 23 participants were selected as a sample size which is 10% of the total population. Through purposive sampling, farmers with more or less than 5years in tobacco farming were selected. Farm workers including children were included. Using qualitative research methods was used and data was collected using interviews, primary evidence and secondary sources. From the study, negative socio-economic impacts of smallholder tobacco farming on Mvurwi Tarastore Area livelihoods outweighed the positive socio-economic impacts. The negative socio-economic impacts were, low education levels, gender and labor, food insecurity, ill-health and child labor and the positive socio-economic impacts of tobacco farming are infrastructure development, asset accumulation and employment creation. These socio-economic impacts were discovered because tobacco farming has many limitations which aredeforestation, capital and labor intensiveness, climate change and environmental degradation.To solve those limitations, smallholder tobacco farmers can/have adopted strategies whichare afforestation and reforestation, engaging in grain farming, and money saving schemes.Some strategies like insurance facilities, human rights watch mechanization may also beadopted to enhance tobacco farming as a livelihood strategy in Mvurwi Tarastore Area.