TANZANIA AND THE 2014 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FAMILY FARMING

Tanzania has embarked on a range of strategies and programs aimed  at increasing agriculture production and productivity. 

Some of the programs include; Agriculture sector Development Program (ASDP), The Tanzania Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plan (TAFSIP) and the Big Result Now (BRN). For all programs and strategies smallholders and family farmers are at the center.

This comes after the United Nations General Assembly declared 2014 the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) at its 66th session to highlight the important of global role family and smallholders farmers have contributed in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, achieving sustainable development and building resilience especially in rural areas. 

 The UN goal for the International Year of Family Farming is to re-position family farming at the center of agricultural, environmental and social policies in the national agenda by identifying gaps and opportunities to promote a shift towards a more equal and balanced development. Family farming contributes a lot to the global food security. 

It is estimated that family farming accounts to 80% of total food produced globally. 

In Tanzania about 74% of its population is employed in agriculture and majority are small holder farmers who have enabled the sector to account for 24.7% of the GDP and about 34% of foreign export earnings. 

 The Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Eng. Raphael Daluti (centre) launches documents on Making the Case for Ecological Agriculture  in Dar es salaam.Left is Dr. Vandana Shiva, Award winning authour and environmental activist, Mr Jenerali Ulimwengu  and Mr. Jordan Gama Chief Executive Officer of Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TAOM).

 Mr. Pius Paulini, a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) an Organisation for farmers and good practice of Agro-ecology  based in Morogoro region displays some of their products during the 2014 International Year of Family Farming workshop in Dar es salaam.

 launching of  documents on Making the Case for Ecological Agriculture  in Dar es salaam