Land Use Planning and Food Security in Rural Tanzania: Case of Masimavalafu village in Ludewa District

The Southern Highlands Zone of Tanzania is among the big five corridors which produce large amount of food in Tanzania. The country is, therefore, trying to ensure that under constant weather conditions these areas ensure food security even during the drought seasons. Basing on this idea, this paper investigates village land use planning as one of the land administration and management tools in the context of increasing food security to villagers and the country at large. This study aimed at finding out whether village land use planning has enhanced food production and security in rural areas or not. Data were captured though interviews with villagers, leaders and various groups, mapping and spatial analyses of crop production trends in the periods in the village. Results have showed an increase in food production and security after the preparation of a village land use plan. This success was manifested by external donors who facilitated the preparation and implementation of the Village Land Use Plan (VLUP), and diving further to the registration of land rights and issuance of title deeds for each land parcel including communal lands in the village. The study draws its conclusion basing on the scientific approaches of preparing VLUPs and implementation of appropriate land management measures. In most cases, these steps are not carried out due to insufficient fund.