Agriculture and Food Security

Feed the Future combats poverty by improving productivity of small farms

Paul Weisenfeld/USAID

Tanzania has excellent potential for agriculture-led economic growth. The country has abundant land and water resources, motivated agricultural entrepreneurs, and access to international markets through a major port. Women participate along the entire value chain and are engaged and empowered as beneficiaries. The climate is favorable for a variety of crops and with increased irrigation and improved seeds, productivity and yields should rapidly increase.

Through Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, USAID focuses its investments both geographically, within the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania, and on specific products such as rice, maize, and horticulture.

USAID seeks to significantly boost annual yields of targeted crops through both improved irrigation and improved market access through construction of rural feeder roads. These activities complement USAID’s efforts to improve farmer productivity, the nutritional value of crops and the quality of processing, storage and marketing. In Zanzibar, USAID works with smallholder farmers to produce fruits and vegetables for the hospitality sector and spices for export. USAID also focuses on vulnerable populations by training HIV-positive farmers in horticulture techniques and helping women to establish village savings and loan groups.

By engaging with government, civil society and private sector partners, USAID promotes policies which enable increased private sector investment and trade. USAID also develops national capacity for policy, planning and coordination. Through collaborative research with local institutions, as well as robust support to 120 students pursuing post-graduate degrees in agricultural related fields, USAID enhances Tanzania’s ability to innovate and improve productivity.