Food availability and supply is essential requirement for people. Household food security
is the availability of food to household level which will suffice the needs all times for an
active, healthy life. The food will be either produced in farms by family or purchased from
other places. The aim of this study was to assess effects of mining on food security to
farming communities surrounding Nyamongo Gold Mine in Tarime District, Tanzania.
Specific objectives were to: (i) determine food security status in the study area; (ii)
determine the amount of farm labour that moves to mining from communities surrounding
the mining in the study area; (iii) determine amount of money earned by house hold
farmers in study area from mining; (iv) identify items bought by money generated by
farmers from mining in the study area; and (v) assess the contribution of infrastructure
development to food security in the study area. Data were collected by interviewing
households using interview schedule as a main tool, which comprised of closed and open
ended questions. Descriptive analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)
were employed as a tool of analysis to determine factors affects food security to mining
surrounding communities. Results revealed that respondent's family size, farm size, sex,
age (years), marital status, movement of farmers to mining area, artisanal activities,
mining related activities and income generation affects food availability. It was concluded
that food security will be enhanced in the study area if District Council in collaboration
with mining companies, artisanal mining and farming communities surrounding North
Mara Gold Mine (NMGM) will put together efforts in crop production. However small
holder farmers in the study area will need a boost from Government, NMGM and other
agriculture stakeholders so as to receive support in agricultural extension services because
there is need to accelerate technology uptake to address declining farm production being
experienced by smallholder farmers in the study area, which leads to food insecurity.