Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania, in collaboration with Kazi Yetu Ltd, Coral Tree Ltd trading as "I Am Organic Ltd" and 15 other SMEs

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Introduction

In an effort to advocate for healthier people and a healthier environment, Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania introduces the Organic Value Chain Project (OVCP) supported by the BIovision Foundation. Recognizing the current state of organic food production and consumption in Tanzania, this project is aimed at making a vital shift towards organic farming practices, consequently promoting agroecological farming, environmental sustainability, and better food security.

The Need for Change

Despite the proven benefits of organic farming, current practices in Tanzania largely lean towards the use of artificial fertilizers, potent pesticides and hybrid seeds. This stems from a lack of awareness about organic farming benefits, limited market demand, and poor access to training and sustainable farming resources. Coupled with misconceptions about the nature of food production in Tanzania, consumers are often uninformed about the importance of organic consumption, resulting in an imbalanced ecosystem in food production and consumption.

Our Solution

OVCP is designed to address this issue head-on. By fostering a robust, diversified range of processed organic products, we aim to raise awareness, develop market demand, and stimulate the organic farming sector. We are poised to do this by empowering farmers, SMEs, and retailers, creating an attractive, sustainable, and profitable alternative to conventional farming practices.

Our strategy involves leveraging the established foundations of Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania, Kazi Yetu, and I Am Organic as incubators. These organisations will mentor other SMEs, improving and certifying their organic products to meet growing market demand. The long-term impact of this project is profound, affecting thousands of farmers, workers, and consumers, while contributing towards the global goal of zero hunger and a transformed food system.

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Project Goals

We envision a future where organic farming is the norm, providing Tanzanian farmers with improved income and food security. Our goals include fostering a vibrant organic sector, increasing local value addition, creating jobs, and offering a broad range of high-quality organic products. This not only promotes healthier consumer choices but also cultivates climate resilience and mitigates environmental pressure.

Our Approach

Our approach involves broadening the range of products within the organic market in Tanzania, enhancing local value chains, and fostering value addition. The project will create job opportunities and market opportunities for farmers incentivized to practice organic agriculture. By training and empowering local SMEs/entrepreneurs for the organic market, we aim to create a pipeline of new organic products and improve awareness of these and organic practices in general.

Project Outcomes

Our objectives for this pioneering project include:

1. Having 300 organic farmers marketing 50% of their produce via organic shops and SMEs processing organic produce.
2. Helping 15 SMEs increase their capacity, with at least six of them supplying organic products for the local market, resulting in a minimum of 12 new products, and creating 100 jobs.
3. Ensuring 4 organic shops and major supermarket chains in Tanzania have increased varieties of organic products due to better marketing and a larger range of products on offer. This would result in increased awareness and demand for organic products, leading to a 150% increase in organic product sales.

In conclusion, the Organic Value Chain Project stands as a testament to our commitment to fostering sustainable, organic agriculture in Tanzania. This innovative project serves as a vehicle for positive change, driving us towards a healthier and more sustainable future.

The OVCP Project is kindly supported by

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