Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Carbon footprint of smallholders in Tanzania: A survey-based approach

TUM Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences; Professorship of Environmental and Development Economics, Germany

Abstract

Global warming represents a critical challenge that urgently requires effective mitigation strategies. Previous studies on agricultural interventions in developing countries have highlighted the importance of climate-smart agriculture strategies for reducing emissions. However, the substantial role of rural households, particularly those around the poverty line, is frequently overlooked and inadequately prioritised within current climate policies. Moreover, empirical evidence quantifying the carbon footprint associated with agricultural production and household consumption remains limited, especially in emerging economies. A standardised approach for assessing household carbon footprints - particularly using micro-level household survey data from developing countries - is still lacking. Although methodologies for calculating household carbon footprints continue to evolve and have become essential tools in greenhouse gas management, significant discrepancies persist across various approaches, such as life-cycle assessment (LCA) and input-output analyses. A crucial step towards addressing these shortcomings involves accurately quantifying household emissions derived from agricultural activities and consumption behaviours, thereby enabling effective emissions management.
This paper addresses these research gaps by first proposing a comprehensive and granular framework designed to systematically capture potential emission sources. Second, the paper applies this framework to calculate the agricultural carbon footprint of smallholders using unique primary micro-level survey data from the TA-SEP project involving rural small-scale farmers in Tanzania (2024). Drawing from the existing literature and empirical household survey data, a cut-off criterion is established to differentiate significant emission sources from those with negligible impacts. This procedure ensures an exhaustive initial inventory of emissions, subsequently refining the framework to retain only relevant activities for practical implementation. The proposed methodology thus provides both precision and flexibility, facilitating its adaptation and generalisation to other developing-country contexts. By offering this structured and replicable approach, the study significantly contributes to the standardisation of household carbon footprint assessments in developing countries, ultimately supporting more targeted and effective climate policies.

Keywords: Household carbon footprint, smallholder farmers, survey data, Tanzania

Contact Address: Klaus Reinarz Abrigo, TUM Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences; Professorship of Environmental and Development Economics, Am Essigberg 3, 94315 Straubing, Germany, e-mail: k.reinarztum.de