Greener Tanzania through climate resilient livelihoods and land use management

Tanzania

Main sectors: Agriculture, land use, rural development

Target groups: Three organizations in the Arusha area that support their members’ climate resilience and green economy. This directly benefits 5,000 members and affects 60,000 hectares of managed land.

Partner organisations:

  • Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC): A women‑led organisation that supports pastoralist women and girls. The organisation has 6,500 members.

  • MVIWAARUSHA: A regional support network for farmers, with 11,000 members.

  • Ujamaa Community Resource Team (UCRT): Works with 40 communities to secure traditional land rights.

Other cooperating actors:

  • TRIAS: An international civil society organization specialized in strengthening member‑based organizations of family farmers and small entrepreneurs.

Donor: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Budget: 530,509 euros
Duration: 2023–2026

Project interventions and expected results:

The population in the project area consists mainly of small‑scale farmers from the Maasai community. Climate change affects them significantly: the area shows clear signs of environmental degradation and declining productivity. The project focuses on two main objective areas:

  1. Strengthening the organisations and their services to support members’ climate resilience in an inclusive way.

  2. Supporting members’ livelihoods in the green transition.

Strong organisations are able to respond to their members’ needs regarding climate resilience, which enables the adaptation of services to better meet these needs. Through the project’s activities, farmers’ capacities are strengthened, and the most climate‑critical activities are mapped, laying the foundation for supporting green livelihood opportunities.

Land rights are crucial for the Maasai people, and the rights‑based interventions focus on clarifying the traditional land‑use rights (Customary Right of Occupancy). Particular attention is paid to women through forums on women’s rights and leadership.

 
 
 
 
 

Towards sustainable smallholder forestry in Vietnam

Vietnam

Main sectors: Forestry

Target groups: Small‑scale forest farmers, cooperatives, and cooperative unions.

Partner organisations:

  • Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA)

  • Quang Ngai Cooperative Alliance (QNCA)

  • Nghe An Cooperative Alliance (NACA)

  • Phu Yen Cooperative Alliance (PYCA)

  • Center for Climate Change Study in Central Vietnam (CCCSC)

Donor: EU‑funded IFAD grant

Budget: 329,361 euros

Duration: 2022–2024

Project interventions and expected results:
The project aims to strengthen smallholder‑based forestry by improving economic returns while integrating climate and biodiversity considerations.

Key activities and results:

  • The project has supported QNCA and PYCA in obtaining FSC certification for over 1,400 hectares, promoting sustainable practices and economic benefits.

  • By strengthening smallholders’ position in the value chain, certification traceability is improved and farmers are better prepared to meet market requirements.

  • By improving tree nurseries, the project has created new employment opportunities—particularly for women—while increasing access to high‑quality planting material.

  • The solar panels installed in two of NACA’s cooperative nurseries have saved approximately 50–60 euros in monthly electricity costs.

  • Longer tree‑rotation periods increase the value of forests.

  • During the project, more native tree species have been planted in home gardens.

  • The project has supported beekeeping in forest areas.

  • Targeted training engages youth and women in forestry and climate work, promoting inclusive and sustainable development.

 
 

Informed forestry decisions, sustainable forest management and forest certification in smallholder forests in Vietnam

Vietnam

Main sectors: Forestry and climate resilience

Target groups: Farmer organisations (2 cooperative unions and 8 cooperatives). The project directly benefits 3,000 individuals.

Partner organisations:

  • Thua Thien Hue Cooperative Alliance (TTHCA):
    A key actor in the project, responsible for mobilising the cooperatives and providing peer support to NACA. TTHCA also serves as the project’s main implementing partner.

  • Nghe An Cooperative Alliance (NACA):
    Responsible for implementing project activities within TTHCA’s area in accordance with the approved annual work plans.

  • Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA):
    Has a specific mandate to promote cooperation between farmer organisations and other stakeholders at the national level.

  • Center for Climate Change Study in Central Vietnam (CCCSC):
    Vietnam’s coordination, monitoring, and forestry expert partner. CCCSC oversees project coordination and communication with all project partners. It provides both administrative and technical support to TTHCA and NACA.

Other partners:
Pirkanmaan Metsänhoitoyhdistys acts as the project’s mentor organisation and provides peer support to NACA and TTHCA.

Donor: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Budget: 460,625 euros

Duration: 2023–2026

Project activities and expected results (summary):

Smallholder farmers have long-term land lease contracts (up to 70 years), but limited knowledge of sustainable forest management due to the short history of private forestry. They are affected by underdeveloped forest services, insufficient planning, weak technical skills, and limited access to forestry data, investments, markets, and government environmental and climate programmes. Persons with disabilities are in a particularly vulnerable position and have few employment opportunities in rural Vietnam.

The project’s activities focus on seven desired results:

  1. Farmer organisations’ technical capacity and resources to provide environmental services in forestry to their members have increased.

  2. Smallholders are engaged in making climate‑smart forestry decisions.

  3. Small‑scale forest owners’ interest in, and awareness of, forest certification and its requirements have increased.

  4. Cooperatives have operational plans for sustainable forest management.

  5. Farmer organisations have identified markets for certified forest products.

  6. Shared platforms for farmer organisations have supported the development of the organisations and their inclusive services.

  7. Persons with disabilities have gained a stronger position within smallholders’ forestry value chains and organisations.

 
 

Farmer organisations shaping the development of food systems – Towards more inclusive food systems in Uganda through the social and economic empowerment of smallholder farmers

 

Uganda

Main sectors: Environment, agriculture, entrepreneurship

Target groups: 15,000 smallholder farmers (of whom 30% are women, youth and/or refugees)

Partner organisations:

  • HODFA – Hoima District Farmers Association

  • MADFA – Masindi District Farmers Association

  • ZODFA – Zombo District Farmers Association

  • TUNADO – The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation

Other partners: AgriCord

Donor: German International Cooperation Society (GIZ)

Budget: 400,000 euros

Duration: 2023–2026

Project activities and expected results:
The project supports smallholder farmers in Uganda with a particular focus on women, youth and refugees. Its objective is to strengthen farmer organisations, promote climate‑smart agriculture and influence the development of inclusive food systems.

The project:

  • Trains farmers in sustainable agricultural practices.

  • Supports the transition towards semi‑commercial farming.

  • Provides guidance on certification and food safety.

  • Strengthens the leadership and advocacy capacities of farmer organisations to influence national guidelines towards more inclusive and climate‑resilient food systems.

 
 

From reactive to proactive adaptation: expanding provision of climate proofed services by local farmer organizations

Tanzania

Main sectors: Agriculture, agroecological practices, climate resiliences

Target groups: The direct beneficiaries are the 16,154 members of NADO, of whom 8,869 are women farmers and 7,285 are men. Among these, 4,917 are youth and 8 are classified as persons with disabilities.

Project partners: Njombe Agricultural Development Organization (NADO)

Other project partners: Carbon Action (mentor organisation)

Donor: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Budget: 387,992 euros

Duration: 2024–2026

Project activities and desired results:

Small‑scale producers are on the frontline of climate change and are already forced to adapt to shifting conditions. Resilient smallholders support local food security, reduce pressure for rural out‑migration, and contribute to climate change mitigation. However, they are disproportionately vulnerable and highly dependent on degraded natural resources and limited infrastructure. In Tanzania as well, climate change is placing pressure on different production sectors, and producers must actively seek effective strategies for adaptation.

The project aims to provide producers with access to services based on agroecological principles, tree planting and agroforestry, which strengthen their adaptive capacity. Tools and methods are developed together with the producer organisation, based on their experiences. Using the Building Resilience I (BR‑I) tool, producers prioritise which methods they want to develop and what skills they need. With the second part of the tool (BR‑II), the producer organisation can assess its own capacity and member services. This assessment forms the basis for the organisation’s climate plan to strengthen members’ climate resilience.

The plan highlights the sustainability elements that are directly relevant to producers (e.g., diversification, efficiency, and solidarity) and that support proactive transformation towards climate resilience (e.g., governance and circular economy). The plan also pays special attention to groups in vulnerable positions, such as women, youth and persons with disabilities. In parallel with improving short‑term productivity and profitability, the project creates an action plan that enables the development of creative adaptive capacity across different production sectors.

The project improves smallholder livelihoods and promotes more sustainable production methods. The farmer groups supported by the project grow potatoes and various vegetables, raise poultry, produce honey and run nurseries. In addition, some groups produce soap and batik‑dyed fabrics.

 
 

Community-Led Environmental and Agricultural Restoration, Tanzania

Strengthening locally led restoration capacity among farmer and pastoralist communities inthe Southern Highlands and Northern (semi-) Arid areas of Tanzania

 

TANzANIA

Main sectors: Agriculture, entrepreneurship and environment

Target groups: Smallholder farmers, pastoralists and forest management organisations

Project partners: MVIWAARUSHA, MVIWAMA and TTGAU

Other project partners: TRIAS

Donor: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

Budget: 604,200 euros

Duration: 2024–2027

Project activities and desired results:
The project supports farmers, pastoralists and small entrepreneurs—particularly women and youth—in restoring degraded land, strengthening climate resilience and diversifying their income sources.

The project:

  • Strengthens farmer organizations and supports participatory research on land degradation and climate risks

  • Promotes climate‑smart practices, such as model farms and tailored land‑restoration methods

  • Resolves land conflicts through boundary agreements

  • Improves access to microcredit through 15 community‑based microfinance groups

  • Trains leaders and raises awareness on gender‑based violence

  • Develops climate‑resilience strategies for organisations and collaborates with authorities to ensure that restoration strategies are integrated into regional and local policies

    The overall aim of these interventions is to increase agricultural productivity, sustainable livelihood opportunities and environmental restoration.

 
 
 

Strengthening small-holders’ opportunities in environmentally and socially responsible value chains for sustainable livelihoods

(SENSOR)

Tanzania

Main sectors: Horticulture, quality assurance, certification

Target groups:

  • 5,000 smallholder farmers whose skills in quality assurance are strengthened

  • 1,000 farmers gaining access to international export markets

  • 15 TAHA agronomists trained according to Global G.A.P. standards

  • Final beneficiaries: up to 25,000 people

Project partners:
Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA)

Other project partners:
The Finnish Horticultural Association (mentor organisation)

Donor: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Budget: 511,175 euros

Duration: 2021–2024

Project activities and desired results (summary)

Agriculture, particularly horticulture, constitutes a significant part of Tanzania’s economy. More than two‑thirds of the workforce is employed in agriculture, and around 60% of them grow crops. Tanzania has strong potential to expand horticultural production, and the sector is highly prioritised in the government’s development strategies, especially to boost exports. However, the major challenge remains the lack of systematic quality assurance procedures and a certified quality management system, both of which are necessary for accessing export markets.

The project focuses on improving smallholders’ quality‑assurance skills so that they can meet the requirements of both export and domestic markets.

The project:

  • Develops TAHA’s organisational capacity in quality assurance and social responsibility.

  • Improves member farmers’ quality‑assurance practices and approaches to social responsibility.

  • Strengthens smallholders’ social responsibility and bargaining power within the value chain, and increases national awareness of the project model.

  • Places special emphasis on GLOBALG.A.P. certification for fruits and vegetables. This is achieved through awareness‑raising and comprehensive training related to certification requirements, building market linkages and arranging contract farming opportunities.

 

Building Resilience with Trees: climate proofing of services provision by local farmer organizations in Tanzania

 

Tanzania

Main sectors: Agriculture, forestry, farmer‑led research

Target groups: Approximately 8,000 farmers (avocado and macadamia) in two regions of Tanzania. One third of the farmers are women.

Project partners:

Tanzania Tree Growers’ Association Union (TTGAU):
A member‑based organisation founded in 2017 to promote the interests of tree‑growing associations. It comprises 136 associations with a total of over 9,000 members, one third of whom are women.

Njombe Agricultural Development Organization (NADO):
A member‑based organisation registered in 2008, consisting of 60 communities with more than 16,000 members. Of these, 7,300 members (one quarter of them women) cultivate various types of trees as their crops.

Other partners:

Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA):
A university in Morogoro and Tanzania’s leading research centre for forestry and agriculture. The university conducts numerous research projects related to agroforestry and the management of tree plantations.

Donors:
The AgriCord network implements the project with funding from the European Commission (EC) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

Budget: 400,520 euros

Duration: 2022–2025

Project activities and desired results:
The project applies at least six agroecological principles and aims to strengthen farmers’ climate resilience through knowledge sharing (Building Resilience tool I), improved efficiency (development of governance systems and planting material), enhanced governance within farmer organisations (Building Resilience tool II), synergies (new combinations of trees and crops, soil health, emission reductions), and economic diversification (multi‑crop systems).

Farmers have established six trial sites where the use of biochar, crop rotation, agroforestry and beekeeping methods is being tested. The farmer organisations are expected to improve access to services related to the management of tree plantations and key tree species, and to ensure the climate resilience of these services.

 
 
 

Strengthening Farmers organizations for sustainable Agricultural Production

 

Kenya

Main sectors: Agroforestry for coffee and food security
Target groups: Up to 250,000 coffee‑producing members from seven regional unions

Project partner:

  • National Coffee Cooperative Union (NACCU):
    An organisation comprising all coffee‑producing cooperatives in Kenya, mandated to promote favourable practices for its members. NACCU is a legally registered national umbrella organisation whose members consist of Kenya’s coffee‑producing cooperatives.

Other partners:

  • WeEffect: Supports the development of democratic organisations and communities that can advance their members’ rights and needs related to employment, influence, services, income and livelihoods. The regional office for East Africa is located in Kenya.

Donors: The AgriCord network implements the project with funding from the German GIZ.
Budget: 400,000 euros
Duration: 2023–2026

Project activities and desired results:
The aim of the project is to enhance smallholder farmers’ ability to contribute to food security in their communities. In Kenya, small‑scale coffee farmers—especially women and youth—are the most vulnerable actors in the coffee production chain.

The project promotes and strengthens traditional food systems. It focuses on supporting the cultivation, consumption and processing of indigenous crops among smallholder farmers. Farmers learn how to process and market indigenous crops and engage in advocacy to promote Indigenous Peoples’ food systems and recognise smallholders’ rights throughout the food value chain.

Climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods

 

Uganda

Main sectors: Environment, agriculture (potato), green financing
Target groups: A total of 8,900 smallholder farmers


Project partners:

  • Zombo District Farmers’ Association (ZODFA):
    A farmer organisation with 11,862 producers (46% men, 54% women, 44% youth).

  • Nyaravur Farmers’ Savings and Credit Society Ltd (Nyaravur SACCO):
    A member‑owned financial institution that provides financial services to farming members. It has 17,311 members (57% men, 43% women, 31% youth).

Other project partners:
Trias, an international civil society organisation specialised in strengthening member‑based organisations of family farmers and small entrepreneurs.

Donor: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Budget: 392,290 euros

Duration: 2023–2026

Project activities and expected results:
The project aims to strengthen the climate resilience of smallholder farmers and forest producers in Uganda by enhancing the institutional capacities of ZODFA and Nyaravur SACCO.

The project:

  • Trains farmers in climate‑resilient practices, such as agroforestry and agroecology.

  • Supports farming as a business.

  • Develops financial products to facilitate market access.

  • Promotes business linkages to support sustainable livelihood opportunities.

 

Photos credit: ©FFD