A Comparative Analysis of Livelihood Outcomes among Participants and Non-participants in the Mount Meru Coffee Project, Arumeru District

Abstract

While coffee agricultural projects are widely acknowledged as key drivers of economic growth, many smallholder coffee farmers in Arumeru District continue to resist participation in such initiatives. This study was conducted to assess and compare the livelihood outcomes of participants and non-participants in the Mount Meru Coffee Project. The research employed a cross-sectional design and an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach, where qualitative data were collected first, followed by quantitative data. A sample of 155 smallholder coffee farmers was selected through simple random sampling. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis with a constant comparison approach, while the quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, with descriptive statistics computed to obtain frequencies and percentage distributions. Multiple responses analysis was used to assess the perceived benefits of farmers' participation in the project, and a t-test was applied to compare livelihood outcomes between participants and non-participants. The study found that the perceived benefits of participating in the Mount Meru Coffee Project include increased coffee income, improved yields, risk sharing, the adoption of improved coffee farming practices, access to marketing information, and enhanced coffee farming knowledge and skills. A comparison of livelihood outcomes revealed significant differences between participants and non-participants, with participants exhibiting higher livelihood outcomes at a p-value of <0.005. The study concludes that participation in the Mount Meru Coffee Project significantly improved the livelihood outcomes of smallholder farmers, particularly in areas such as human capital, social capital, assets, and household income. To ensure equitable access to opportunities, the study further recommends that local government authorities actively promote the Mount Meru Coffee Project model, particularly in terms of improving farmers' access to market information and develop solutions to constraints within their capacity.