The Event Celebrates the Inauguration of the Initiative that aims to Empower Local SMEs, Strengthen Food Security, and Build Resilient Agricultural Systems
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, November 6, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Today marks a milestone with Growing Together Program in Tanzania, a dynamic initiative that brings together public and private sectors—including the Ministry of Agriculture, SMEs, financial institutions, and off-takers—to drive sustainable, inclusive market transformation. The program aims to transform local food markets, improve local food security and local economies and increase the income of smallholder farmers. Through scaling the operations of Small and Medium Entreprises (SMEs) to become larger and stronger food companies in Tanzania, the program seeks to realize this impact. The program focuses on farmers and SMEs working in the maize, beans, sunflower, and soybean value chains in the Mbeya, Dodoma, Iringa, and Morogoro regions.
The program is an initiative of IDH and funded by NORAD. In partnership with Alliance Biodiversity & CIAT, Rikolto and the Eastern African Grain Council, IDH leads the implementation. The launch event underscored the program’s mission to bolster smallholder farmers and local SMEs, equipping them with the capacity, resources and value chain connections needed to drive scalable production and market access. The Growing Together Program will create enduring partnerships among producers, end-buyers, and financial institutions, building solutions that promote market access, strengthen local economies, and pave the way for Tanzania’s agricultural future.
Collaborating for Sustainable Growth
Japhet Nyang’oro Sudi, Tanzania Country Director at IDH, emphasised the unique collaborative nature of the Growing Together Program in tackling systemic challenges in agriculture, “Together, we are strengthening Tanzanian farmers and SMEs, ensuring they have the tools to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape. We deeply value the leadership and support from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Norwegian Government, whose contributions align seamlessly with Tanzania’s national development goals.”
Lazaro Mwakipesile, Off taker Representative, shared his perspective on the Program’s impact on business models and farmer relations:
“To serve our farmers effectively, we need business models that boost farmer engagement and loyalty while reducing service costs and risks. We look forward to innovating and refining our approach to expand sourcing, lower transaction costs, and better support farmers. The Growing Together Program is a pivotal step in that direction, helping us create a sustainable model that benefits all stakeholders.”
Kebba Colley, Global Director for Value Chain Transformation at IDH, explained the importance of fostering local agrifood companies: “Africa has an urgent need to cultivate its own fast-moving consumer goods companies within the agrifood sector. With the Growing Together Program, IDH is committed to scaling SMEs into leading food processing companies that can transform rural economies. By increasing farmer incomes and building production resilience, we’re laying the foundation for a sustainable agrifood industry in Africa.”
Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted the government’s support for the initiative: “The Ministry of Agriculture fully supports the Growing Together initiative, as it aligns with Tanzania’s development goals for 2030. This program complements our ongoing efforts and national strategies, helping to strengthen our agricultural sector through collaboration and shared commitment. Together, we are advancing the government’s vision for a resilient and prosperous future for Tanzanian agriculture.”
Growing Local SMEs and Farmers to Transform Markets
The Growing Together Program is focused on accelerating the inclusive growth of local SMEs and smallholder farmers as the bedrock of Tanzania’s agricultural value chains. Initially, the Program will directly support 10 SMEs and off-takers across the maize, beans, sunflower, and soybean value chains, impacting 60,000 farmers and enhancing their capacity to sustainably scale food production. It will also strengthen sector associations and share knowledge and insights to other businesses, creating ripple effects across the value chain.
Through the investment development activities, the program includes comprehensive support for improved access to affordable finance, enabling SMEs and farmers to expand their operations and invest in their productivity. Additionally, by building stronger market linkages, the Growing Together Program aims to unlock premium national and regional markets for farmers and SMEs. Efforts to promote climate-adaptive and regenerative agricultural practices will increase resilience of farmers to climate shocks.
The launch event served as a platform for key stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities, provided input to the program and fostered collaboration. The sessions covered topics such as investment in SMEs, production landscape resilience, and the role of the private sector in driving systemic change. The event introduced the Food Systems Transformation Alliance approach, a private sector-driven initiative aiming to unlock market and local sourcing commitments.
The Growing Together Program invited stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including government bodies, financial institutions, and private enterprises, to join and collaborate on this initiative. By working together, the Program aims to transform food systems, improve livelihoods, and create sustainable economic progress in Tanzania and beyond.
About the Investment Development Hub
Investment is crucial for market transformation, yet many SMEs face barriers in accessing affordable loans and credit. SMEs, especially in agriculture, often struggle to secure financing due to perceived risks. Furthermore, most financial products fail to meet the specific needs of SMEs and farmers.
Building on the success of our first hub, launched earlier this year in Colombia, IDH has now established its first Innovation & Investment Development Hub in Africa. This hub is the inaugural African addition to IDH’s global network and marks a significant step in IDH’s strategy to create regional hubs worldwide. IDH aims to address region-specific financial challenges and foster sustainable economic growth in developing markets through this expansion.
The Innovation & Investment Development Hub provides specialised technical assistance to make SMEs investment-ready and link them to a curated network of financial institutions. The Hub partners with financial institutions focus on investing in agriculture and SMEs, provides them with a pipeline of creditworthy SMEs, and aims to optimize the financial services of financial institutions. In the frame of this program, the aim is to unlock 7 M USD for SMEs and farmers
For Media Inquiries, please contact Japhet Nyang’oro Sudi (nyangoro@idhtrade.org), Tanzania Country Director, IDH.
About IDH
IDH seeks to transform markets through collaborative innovation, convening and investment in inclusive and sustainable solutions that enable businesses to create value for people and planet. To achieve this, IDH brings together coalitions of committed stakeholders from across global value chains towards joint visions and program agendas for sustainable trade.
IDH’s international presence extends to multiple regions and landscapes, facilitated by a network of around 400 staff, including experts who are embedded in key agricultural, manufacturing, apparel and commodity value chains. In 15 years of operation, IDH has mobilised private sector investment and support to test and innovate new business models designed to create better jobs, better incomes, a better environment, and gender equity for all.
Learn about our unique method of convening, co-creating and co-financing.
About CIAT
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives in a climate crisis. The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is a CGIAR Research Centre. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future.
http://alliancebioversityciat.org/
About Rikolto
Rikolto (formerly Vredeseilanden) is an international NGO with more than 50 years’ experience in partnering with farmer organisations and food chain stakeholders across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Our work is structured around three global programmes: our international Sustainable Rice for All, Cocoa & Coffee and Good Food 4 Cities programmes. Inclusive business is at their core. We promote long-term business relationships fulfilling farmers’ and buyers’ needs alike. We ensure the sustainability of our actions through a holistic, sustainable food systems approach facilitating collective action among all food system actors.
About Eastern Africa Grain Council
EAGC is a regional, not-for-profit council of firms and organizations in the grain value chain that is “the leading voice of the grain industry in Africa “whose mandate is “to facilitate efficient structured, inclusive, sustainable and profitable grain trade” through various interventions and programs that include; policy research and advocacy, provision of market information, training and capacity building as well as developing structured grain trading systems. To achieve these interventions, EAGC works closely and in partnership with governments and private sector partners through a fast-growing public-private partnership (PPP) framework in the region and internationally. The Council is a member of the International Grain Trade Coalition (IGTC , a global federation of grain trade associations that serves the greater good by promoting and facilitating the performance of the international agri-bulk commodity supply chain. EAGC membership comprises registered enterprises, companies and institutions such as: Active members -those directly dealing in or handling grains including Grain producers/Farmers, Grain handlers/Traders and Grain Processors/Millers.
Japhet Nyang’oro Sudi
IDH
nyangoro@idhtrade.org
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