Stakeholders in the United Republic of Tanzania highlighted the role of livestock in addressing climate change

Stakeholders in the United Republic of Tanzania have emphasized the critical role of livestock in addressing climate change. A national workshop, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Vice President's Office and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries of Tanzania, brought together representatives from the government, associated agencies, the private sector, non-government organizations, research institutions, academia, and media. The workshop served as a platform for participants to discuss climate actions in livestock systems, exchange knowledge, enhance awareness, and present policies, programs, and projects addressing the contributions of livestock to climate change.

Key recommendations of the workshop include:

1. Conducting a tier 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment of the livestock sector for the 2024 national GHG inventory to address the gap in the current inventory from 2018.
2. Identifying climate mitigation measures for the livestock sector for future nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and the 3rd National Communication.
3. Strengthening cooperation between Tanzania’s ministries and regions to address climate change in the livestock sector, with a need to translate national policies into regional and district-level strategies.
4. Assessing the knowledge and practices of livestock keepers, farmers, and producers regarding climate change, recognizing the importance of local and Indigenous Peoples' knowledge.
5. Identifying successful climate change mitigation and adaptation practices in the livestock sector and using demonstration farms to influence the adoption of new practices.
6. Identifying opportunities for carbon trading projects in the livestock sector and improving the use of available financial institutions in line with Tanzania's National Carbon Trading Regulation and Guidelines adopted in October 2022.

Tanzania, livestock, and climate change 

Livestock systems in Tanzania face high vulnerability to climate change, affected by disease, land use conflicts, and low productivity. Although the sector is growing, production and productivity remain low, contributing only 6.7 percent to the national GDP. Traditional cattle dominate, with only 3 percent being improved dairy cattle. Rangeland and grassland degradation, especially in dryland areas, is a major concern due to climate change impacts such as increased temperatures, changed rainfall patterns, floods, and droughts. Tanzania is committed to addressing climate change and has formulated national policies, programs, and strategies, aiming to reduce GHG emissions by 30-35 percent by 2030 in line with its nationally determined contributions.

The workshop 

The workshop is part of the FAO project on "Scaling-up climate actions to enhance Nationally Determined Contributions and climate and livestock," jointly implemented by FAO, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, and the Vice President's Office of the United Republic of Tanzania. The project aims to enhance mitigation and adaptation programs in the livestock sector, fostering climate resilience, ensuring food security, sustaining livelihoods, and aligning with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The workshop engaged 35 participants from 22 different institutions and six regions in Tanzania, including Zanzibar.

Stakeholders in the United Republic of Tanzania have emphasized the critical role of livestock in addressing climate change. “The livestock sector adaptation measures are already part of Tanzania’s nationally determined contributions. We can see an opportunity to include more mitigation-related measures in the next National Communication to the UNFCCC and future updates of the NDCs”, said Kanizio Manyika, UNFCCC Focal Point from the Vice President’s Office during his opening remarks. Participants discussed challenges and opportunities related to institutional arrangements, policies, and data availability for addressing climate change and achieving the livestock sector's development objectives.

Field visit at Shamba Kubwa Longido

Shamba Kubwa is one of the transformed traditional livestock keepers in Mvomero District, Morogoro region. Participants had the opportunity to see first-hand examples of climate change adaptation practices in the Maasai community. Some years ago, Shamba Kubwa decided to give up pastoral life as movement with large cattle herds became more and more difficult under the impacts of climate change and changing land use practices. He sold a part of his cattle herd to invest in buying land and dairy cows and settled down. He now uses only his land under well-managed rotational grazing and produces milk with his small dairy herd. The farmer sells milk and pasture at a lower price and offers free water to the community during the dry season. His farm is used as a role model to inspire other traditional livestock keepers in the nearby community.