ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the economic implications of the traditional division of labor by gender in the Farming Systems Research (FSR) project in Morogoro District, Tanzania along with the risks associated with the transfer of excess female labor during critical labor periods to male labor during the same period in an alternative farming system. The framework of analysis looks at how FSR address the distinction between real and expected roles of men and women, restrictions on labor transfer, and access to credit and marketing opportunities. A risk quadratic programming model was used to test the significance of female labor on expected risk and productivity in the farming systems of the Eastern Ulguru Mountains. Policy parameters in relation to exogenous factors define the socioeconomic environment in which the farming systems operate. Meaningful fanning systems research requires an efficient marketing infrastructure that includes chemical inputs, availability of credit and adequate transport of products.
