Low investments in sustainable land management (SLM) are a
major concern in the East African Highlands (Stroud, 2003). SLM
investments are defined as all efforts in the form oflabor and (financial)inputs
thatfarmersuse to execute SLMpractices, covering both
short-term (annual) practices and practices aiming at long-term
impact (Kessler, 2006). SLM technologies are particularly required
in upland fields, where rain-fed agriculture on steep hillsides often
causes soil erosion by water. Soil erosion is one of the main underlying
causes of food insecurity in Tanzania, and strongly linked to
low soil productivity (TNSGRP, 2005). SLM investments in rain-fed
agriculture in these highlands are thus an essential component for
food security