Tanzania

We focus on establishing structured trading systems, developing farmers business management and ensuring sustainable, quality and safe food production and consumption. Currently, we are running our Sustainable rice programme and our Good Food for Cities programme in the cities of Mbeya and Arusha.

Sustainable Rice programme highlights for 2024

Through a partnership with the Rice Council of Tanzania (RCT), which represents private sector rice stakeholders, business meetings were organised between the farmer organisation MAMCOS and two private companies from the Madibira region to market sustainable SRP rice, with the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) also stepping in as a buyer. As a result, 4,670 tonnes reached the local market. Increased access to finance through the climate finance project developed in partnership with Tanzania's largest agri-lender, CRDB bank, Ecosystem Equity, TARI Ifakara, enabled farmers to adopt more sustainable practices. This model, which links sustainability requirements to credit disbursement, has served as a blueprint for similar solutions with smaller financial actors, such as local savings and credit organisations, under the REDAA programme, launched in 2024 and supporting cocoa, coffee and vegetable farmers as well.

Good Food for Cities programme highlights for 2024

In Arusha, more than 3,100 farmers - including women and youth - attended trainings on regenerative agricultural practices, pest management and water use. To promote adoption, 20 demonstration plots, five tree nurseries and solar-powered irrigation were established. Cooperativestraded 600 tonnes of vegetables worth €564,934 through supply chain linkages facilitated by Rikolto. Food safety training reached market vendors and transporters, while 138 new market stalls and mobile solar kiosks were established to improve safe food handling, food distribution and post-harvest losses in traditional markets. In Mbeya, the third phase of the Participatory Food Safety System (PFSS) certified 436 farmers, vendors and transporters for compliance with hygiene standards. Moreover, solar-powered cold chain innovations and access to €43,948,4 in loans were facilitated through partnerships.

Cocoa and Coffee programme highlights for 2024

The Nature Fundi project has officially launched as part of the REDAA (Resilience for Environmental Degradation in Africa and Asia) programme. Implemented by Rikolto, in partnership with TIMAP (Tanzania Informal Microfinance Association of Practitioners) and Ecosystem Equity, and supported by UK Aid through IIED, the project is developing a community eco-credit methodology tailored to cocoa, coffee, rice, fruit, and vegetable farmers, aiming to strengthen their resilience to climate challenges through sustainable and inclusive financing. Through Community Microfinance groups, climate-smart loans are made available as incentives for farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. 42 groups have so far received capitalisation funds, alongside training in eco-credit methodological processes and sustainable practices. In parallel, we supported a landscape analysis for the Mbeya region through multi-stakeholder processes with 82 stakeholders. This led to the formation of the Rungwe, Busokelo, and Kyela Stakeholder Platform (RUBUKYE), responsible for the management and coordination of the Mbeya Sourcing Landscape.