THE ROLE OF AGRIPRENEURSHIP ON FOOD SECURITY: MEDIATING ROLE OF INNOVATION

Abstract

The study is motivated by persistent challenges in food security in Tanzania, despite the increasing adoption of innovative practices within agricultural activities. The primary objective is to examine the contribution of agripreneurship to household food security in Tanzania, with innovation acting as a mediating factor. Specifically, the study: (i) assesses the level of agripreneurship among farming households; (ii) evaluates the extent to which agripreneurs employ innovative practices; and (iii) determines the status of household food security using multidimensional indicators. Based on a sample of 384 agripreneurs selected through Probability Proportion Sampling (PPS), the study undertakes key analytical tasks, including bivariate correlation analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, to explore the relationships among the study variables. The findings indicate a high prevalence of food insecurity in the study areas and reveal limited engagement in innovation among agripreneurs. Importantly, the results confirm that innovation mediates the relationship between agripreneurship and food security, challenging the assumption of a direct linear association. The study recommends that policymakers develop strategic initiatives to support agripreneurs in adopting innovation and establish a network of food innovation hubs to enhance collaboration and address regional agricultural needs effectively