Supporting sustainable farming

Agriculture First in Tanzania

In an unprecedented move, a group of eight global companies – led by Unilever – have committed to support the Tanzanian government’s ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ (Swahili for ‘Agriculture First’) initiative to develop the country’s national agricultural plan. The group gathers together government, global and local private sector organisations, farmers, international agencies and  donors.

Leveraging public and private investment, Kilimo Kwanza aims to promote a modern and profitable agriculture sector: giving subsistence farmers the opportunity to become commercial; building essential, fit-for-purpose infrastructure; and linking small-farming communities with both local and global supply chains.

Innovative business development

The initiative is being coordinated by a steering committee chaired by Unilever and Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operation. The mandate is to develop a detailed ‘investment blueprint’ that will be presented at the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos in January 2011.

“This is an example of enlightened CSR (corporate social responsibility) and an innovative business development model,” saysFrank Braeken, Unilever’s Executive Vice President for North Africa, Middle East and Central Africa. “It is about the ‘co-opetition’ concept: the level of engagement identified by CEO Paul Polman when all partners – public and private, including competitors – embrace altruistic goals behind collaborative models.”

Linking small farmers to global supply chains

The area in question links the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Malawi, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is an established trade route that passes through some of the richest agricultural lands in Africa.

There is huge potential to develop a sustainable commercial farming sector here, serving regional and overseas markets. Realising that potential would provide significant and lasting benefits for millions of people living in these rural areas. It would also help achieve national food security and deliver significant economic gains for the Tanzanian economy.

Supporting the smallholders

This could create job opportunities, develop smallholder farming projects and support local businesses. Making it happen will require strong commitment and perseverance from public and private sector stakeholders. Once proven, it could be replicated elsewhere. This would have potentially far-reaching effects in accelerating growth and investment in developing-country agriculture, addressing at the same time food security and poverty alleviation.