From 24 to 28 February 2025, the Secretariat of Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC) and FAO Tanzania jointly organized a field mission to Arusha, Dodoma and Dar es Salaam with a high-level delegation including six officials of FVC’s partners, namely the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Swiss Confederation, as well as senior staff from FAO Headquarters. The purpose of the field trip was to see the results of projects funded by flexible funds on the ground and better understand FAO’s work at the country level. Delegates saw firsthand the results of FVC-funded projects and engaged with project beneficiaries, local partners, government institutions and other development partners. 

In a warm welcome to the delegation, Dr. Nyabenyi Tipo, FAO Representative in Tanzania stated, “The country is self-sufficient in agricultural production and is on its way to becoming a regional food basket. To accomplish this, further improvements are needed to enhance agricultural efficiency.” Dr. Tipo emphasized that Tanzania is among the top three countries benefitting from global projects funded by FVC, highlighting the Fund’s contributions to small-scale fisheries, land restoration, climate-smart agriculture and rural livelihoods. She added, “This mission provided an invaluable opportunity to witness the transformative effects of these initiatives and reaffirm FAO’s commitment to collaborating with the Government of Tanzania and development partners to build a resilient and sustainable agricultural sector.” 

Transforming Communities 

The delegation spent the first 3 days in the Arusha region and interacted with government officials, national stakeholders and beneficiary communities. The delegation was warmly received by Hon. Paul Makonda, the Regional Commissioner for Arusha, who gave a comprehensive overview of the regional government's priorities, which include enhancing agricultural productivity, promoting sustainable farming practices and attracting both local and foreign investments to boost economic growth. The mission continued with visits to regional offices in Monduli and Karatu Districts, followed by visits to the beneficiaries of Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) in those districts. The FFF is a multi-donor initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of Forest and Farm Producer Organizations (FFPOs) as key agents of change in promoting climate-resilient landscapes.  

In Monduli, the delegation visited the Honey Processing and Quality Control Unit in Esilalei Village and engaged with the Namelok Naisho Maasai women’s group, which have benefited from FFF support.The Namelok Naisho Producer Group consists of 23 Maasai women dedicated to beekeeping and honey production that encourage economic empowerment, better livelihoods and forest protection. The FVC-funded project focused on improving the livelihoods of Maasai women through beekeeping value chains, honey production, processing and related enterprises. This initiative highlights the intersection of women’s economic empowerment and environmental sustainability. 

In Karatu, the delegation visited the Eden Group in Doffa Village, a community-led initiative focused on reforestation, sustainable agriculture and biogas initiatives. They also visited Simba Milima Primary School, where FFF has supported ecosystem restoration through tree planting, the establishment of a vegetable garden and the installation of solar panels to promote energy efficiency. Additionally, a borehole has been constructed to provide clean water for the school and surrounding community. This initiative was designed to address the pressing challenges of water scarcity, promote climate resilience through tree planting and improve nutrition among students through sustainable agricultural practices. 

While still in Arusha, the delegation visited the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA) to assess the progress of the European Union (EU)-funded "Strengthening Plant Health Services in Tanzania for Enhanced Food Safety" (STREPHIT) project, which has strengthened plant health surveillance and food safety standards. The acting Director, Oshingi Samballu, briefed the delegation on the work of the TPHPA and its long collaboration with FAO on plant health in the country. According to him, early detection and rapid response to pest outbreaks are critical for minimizing crop losses. The delegation commended Tanzania’s progress in phytosanitary measures, recognizing the importance of continued investment in plant health to safeguard agricultural productivity and food security. 

Dialogues and Engagements with Development Partners 

Following the visits in Arusha, the delegation traveled to Dodoma, where they engaged in high-level discussions with senior government officials at the Prime Minister’s Office. Discussions focused on strengthening agricultural policy frameworks, enhancing climate resilience and reinforcing FAO’s partnership with the government to achieve national development goals. Key topics included strategies and prospects for maximizing the impact of flexible funding and addressing pressing development challenges. 

The mission concluded in Dar es Salaam with a roundtable discussion involving the heads of United Nations (UN) agencies, local implementing partners and members of the diplomatic corps. These dialogues provided an opportunity to reflect on the mission’s key takeaways and explore ways to enhance collaboration in agricultural development, food security and climate resilience. 

A second stakeholder’s session included officials from the embassies of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Swiss Confederation and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The visit offered the delegation with valuable insights into FAO's work in Tanzania, including its challenges, opportunities and potential areas of improvement to achieve catalytic impacts with donor funding. The discussions underscored the importance of aligning donor funding with national priorities to achieve sustainable agricultural transformation. The delegation appreciated FAO's efforts and highlighted the importance of continued partnership and efficient resource allocation to maximize development outcomes. 

Reflecting on the mission’s success, Festus Akinnifesi, Head of Multi-Partner Initiatives and Flexible Funds at FAO, commended the catalytic effect of FVC-funded projects to achieve transformative impact. He emphasized that these initiatives not only strengthen local food systems but also empower women, smallholder farmers and rural communities. 

FVC enables FAO to address priority development challenges in a timely and cost-effective manner. Flexible funds can help reduce transaction costs and fragmentation, achieve catalytic and multiplier effects, encourage cross-sectoral integration, improve aid coordination and facilitate transformative change. From 2010-2025, FVC has supported 135 projects in over 100 countries, with 50 projects ongoing.