Climate resilience in Tanzanian farming cooperatives: Adaptive strategies for food security

Abstract

Smallholder irrigation schemes in Morogoro, Tanzania, underpin rice-based farming systems, which are further supported by maize, cassava, and small-scale trade. These households face recurrent flooding, waterlogging, and persistent pest infestations, which threaten crop yields and income stability. Using surveys (n = 192) and key informant interviews, the study examines how cooperative irrigation schemes foster climate resilience through governance, shared infrastructure, and training. Results show high exposure to hydrological hazards, moderate livelihood diversification alongside rice cultivation, and higher adoption of climate-smart practices among members who received cooperative training and access to pooled inputs. The study identifies three cooperative mechanisms, resource pooling (including shared inputs), learning systems (including training sessions), and financial intermediation (such as access to credit), that reduce adaptation costs and increase the uptake of drought- and flood-tolerant practices. The study argues that cooperative governance links individual, farm-level adaptations to create a cohesive, system-level resilience within the irrigation command area.