The FAO sub regional Coordinator for Southern Africa (SFS) visit confirmed the authorities’ commitment to recognizing the importance of a multi-actor partnership for better production, nutrition, environment and life.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Sub-Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Patrice Talla Takoukam, visited the United Republic Tanzania from April 24 – 28, 2023 and met with senior Government representatives in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.

Patrice Talla met with Hussein Bashe, Minister of Agriculture; Abdallah Ulega, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries; Mary Maganga, Permanent Secretary in the Vice President’s Office; Suleiman Makame, Minister of Blue Economy and Fisheries Zanzibar; and Shamata Khamis, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Livestock and Fisheries in Zanzibar. He was accompanied to the meetings by Nyabenyi Tipo, FAO Representative in Tanzania, and Charles Tulahi, Assistant FAO Representative- Programme.

The discussions mainly focused on food systems transformations, the environment, climate change, and cooperation. FAO and the government reaffirmed their commitment to working closely together to support the country's sustainable, social and economic development.

The potential of the country’s agriculture sector emphasized the need of supporting farmers' productivity, market access, and mechanisms for improved storage and irrigation.  

Fisheries stock assessment, improving the aquaculture value chain, animal disease control, and youth employment are of key importance to the local economy.  

Incorporating environmental issues as part of an integrated approach to addressing food security and alternative income sources for rural communities, is one of the priorities.

FAO will support the development of a National Plan of Action to implement small-scale fisheries guidelines in Zanzibar and support in information related to fish fingerlings supply for local aqua farmers. FAO will continue to provide technical assistance to the Zanzibar Marine Multi-Species Hatchery in order to produce fingerlings for local aqua farmers who are currently reliant on a wild collection of fingerlings.

FAO will also continue to support the implementation of newly developed plans for agriculture development, horticulture, and organic production. FAO support goes beyond soft skills to increase food production and employment and includes strengthening climate-smart agriculture by developing programmes and mobilizing resources to put the strategies into action.

Partnership at the heart of the strategy

FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 supports member States' national priorities as well as the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one and no place behind.

“Under the new strategic framework, we can find solutions to improve agriculture productivity, which contributes to food security. Better nutrition will ensure that people have a diverse and sufficient supply of food. A better environment will help us manage our natural resources for future generations, and if we can do all that, everyone will have a better life” reaffirmed Patrice Talla.

FAO works closely with the Government of Tanzania to provide policy advice, credible, up-to-date information, and technical expertise on food security and natural resource management through the Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2022-2027. The Tanzania CPF is an integral part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022- 2027, articulating FAO's collective response in support of Tanzania's national priorities and the path to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. FAO has three priority areas in Tanzania: People, Planet and Prosperity.

The People priority focuses on the triple burden of malnutrition, with an emphasis on nutritionally vulnerable populations. Children under the age of five, adolescent boys and girls in school, and women are among the target groups, with the aim of increasing access to high-quality gender-transformative, inclusive, and integrated nutrition services.

To contribute to Prosperity building, FAO supports micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small-scale producers, particularly the most vulnerable, in achieving increased, more sustainable productivity and incomes with more equitable access to productive resources.

The Planet priority seeks to ensure that people, particularly the most vulnerable, contribute to and benefit from more inclusive and gender-responsive natural resource management, climate change resilience, and increased use of efficient renewable energy through more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems.