Linking farmers to markets: Assessing planned change initiatives to improve the marketing performance of smallholder farmer groups in northern Tanzania

The primary inquiry of my study was to identify and understand the underlying factors that enable smallholder farmer groups to improve their market situation. My study evaluated a government-led program in Tanzania that is attempting to increase smallholder farmers' incomes and food security through a market-oriented intervention. Over the course of 15 months, research was conducted in collaboration with two local non-governmental organizations that are implementing partners in this development program. Two rounds of group interviews (6 to 8 months apart) were conducted with 34 farmer groups. Individual data were collected on approximately 400 farmer group members. My analysis considered how group assets and characteristics, as well as the larger infrastructural conditions, affect a farmer group's ability to improve its market situation. Findings suggest that more mature groups with strong internal institutions, functioning group activities, and a good asset base of natural capital are more likely to improve their market situation. Structural social capital in the form of community leaders and ties to external service providers are enabling factors that can enhance a group's ability to access new resources. Likewise, cognitive social capital in the form of group altruism is an enabling factor that can enhance a group's ability to maximize existing resources. Gender composition of groups also factors in group marketing performance. It acts as an enabling factor for male-dominated and gender-balanced groups and acts as a disabling factor for female-only groups. Cognitive social capital in the form of group trust and homogeneity of identities (i.e., ethnicity, age, education, religion) are not significant factors in a group's ability to improve its market situation.