What does development cooperation look like in practice?
Farmers, local partners and experts from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam share their experiences of FFD’s work and the changes they have seen in their communities.
From sustainable farming practices and stronger farmer organisations to improved livelihoods and climate resilience, the stories show what impact means in people’s everyday lives.
Watch the video: FFD – Just Impact in Action:
As the morning bell rings at Mtapa Secondary School in Tanzania’s Wanging’ombe District, students walk into their classrooms carrying books instead of buckets of water.
It may seem like an ordinary start to the school day, but it represents a significant change. Previously, students often had to walk long distances to collect water from rivers and unsafe wells before lessons could begin. Fetching water took away valuable learning time, left students tired and exposed them to health risks associated with unsafe water sources.
Today, clean and safe water is available within the school compound through a rainwater harvesting system. Together with a school vegetable garden and tree planting, the system demonstrates how locally appropriate climate adaptation measures can support education, health, nutrition and care for the environment.
Part of the newly established kitchen garden in Mtapa Secondary School. Photo credit: Jenny Öhman - FFD
Mtapa Secondary School has 397 students, including 256 girls and 141 boys, as well as 19 teachers. Reliable access to water means that students can spend more time in class instead of searching for water. Teachers have also observed improved concentration, as students no longer arrive at lessons exhausted after walking long distances and carrying heavy containers.
According to the school’s headmaster, Emelye Obadia Chatanda, the intervention has addressed one of the school community’s most pressing everyday challenges:
“NADO has become a major pillar of our school. The rainwater harvesting project has wiped away the tears of our students and the surrounding community. Before the project, students walked long distances to fetch water from rivers and unsafe wells. Today they have clean and safe water within the school, giving them more time to learn and protecting their health.”
”Before the project, students walked long distances to fetch water from rivers and unsafe wells. Today they have clean and safe water within the school, giving them more time to learn and protecting their health.”
The harvested rainwater is also used to irrigate the school’s vegetable garden. Students learn how to grow and care for vegetables while developing practical agricultural skills that they can use at home and share in their communities. The vegetables also contribute to healthier school meals.
For Form Three student Glory Mbajuka, the garden has increased students’ understanding of food and nutrition:
“The vegetable garden provides us with important vitamins that improve our health. NADO taught us how to grow vegetables, how to care for them and why they are important. I encourage students across Tanzania to grow vegetables because they improve both our health and our environment.”
Glory Mbajuka, Form Three student
By combining water harvesting with practical learning, the school garden connects climate adaptation directly with students’ everyday lives. It shows how water, nutrition, agriculture and education can reinforce one another.
Form Three student Glory Mbajuka waters vegetables grown in the Mtapa Secondary School garden. The garden is irrigated using harvested rainwater and helps students learn practical cultivation and nutrition skills. Photo credit: NADO
”The vegetable garden provides us with important vitamins that improve our health. NADO taught us how to grow vegetables, how to care for them and why they are important. I encourage students across Tanzania to grow vegetables because they improve both our health and our environment.”
Climate adaptation at Mtapa Secondary School extends beyond water and nutrition. Students have planted 32 avocado trees around the school compound, creating a greener learning environment and contributing to long-term environmental conservation.
The trees help reduce dust, protect the soil from erosion and support biodiversity. As they mature, they are also expected to provide nutritious fruit for students. Any surplus harvest could offer the school an opportunity to generate additional income.
Form Four student Victor Shadrack Kissi sees tree planting as both a practical learning opportunity and an investment in the future:
“These avocado trees give us fresh air, improve our environment and help us understand plant science. They will also provide fruit and protect our soil. I encourage young people everywhere to plant and care for trees because they are important for our future.”
Victor Shadrack Kissi, Form Four student
”These avocado trees give us fresh air, improve our environment and help us understand plant science. They will also provide fruit and protect our soil. I encourage young people everywhere to plant and care for trees because they are important for our future.”
The Kapua volunteers from Finland raised during 2024-2025 funds for rainwater harvesting systems, for establishing kitchen gardens and planting avocado trees at among other Mtapa Secondary School. Photo credit: Jenny Öhman - FFD
The experience of Mtapa Secondary School illustrates how relatively simple and practical measures can create several interconnected benefits. Rainwater harvesting has reduced the time students spend searching for water. The vegetable garden supports nutrition and agricultural learning. Tree planting protects the school environment while helping students understand the role of vegetation in building resilience to climate change.
These changes are also helping students see climate adaptation in a broader way. It is not only about protecting crops and natural resources. It is also about safeguarding education, improving health and strengthening the ability of communities to respond to changing conditions.
What began as a response to water scarcity has therefore grown into something much wider: a healthier school environment, new practical skills, greater environmental awareness and more time for learning. The school morning is no longer defined by students setting out with buckets to search for water. Instead, students can begin their day in the classroom, learning and preparing to become active contributors to more climate-resilient communities.
This success story is originally produced by our partner NADO. The project “From Reactive to Proactive Adaptation: Expanding Provision of Climate-Proofed Services by Local Farmer Organizations” is implemented by Food and Forest Development Finland (FFD) and the local partner Njombe Agricultural Development Organization (NADO) in collaboration with Carbon Action, with funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFAF).
The Building Resilience with Trees project reached a milestone on 25 February 2026 with a vibrant exit workshop in Njombe — an event that brought together farmers, tree growers, researchers, local authorities and technical institutions to celebrate four years of farmer-led experimentation and climate-resilient innovation.
More importantly, the workshop showed something deeper: Building Resilience with Trees project has built a network that will continue working long after the project ends.
The Building Resilience with Trees project directly involved over 3,000 farmers and tree growers through training, experimentation, microfinance groups, and climate‑resilient livelihood activities.
1. Climate-smart methods adopted at scale
Farmers across Njombe and Songwe tested and adopted biochar, mulching, manure management, conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and improved beekeeping.
Trials combining biochar + manure delivered the strongest outcomes, with farmers reporting higher yields and healthier soils.
Beekeeping expanded rapidly — honey production rose from 1,260 kg to 4,930 kg/year, driven by modern hives and better management.
2. Demonstration plots driving peer learning
Tanzania Tree Growers Association Union - TTGAU and Njombe Agricultural Development Organization - NADO established 15 experimental sites across different agroecological zones.
Farmers described an important shift: “Now our neighbours come to ask how to make their farms look like ours.”
Demonstration plots have become local learning hubs, a role they will continue beyond the project.
”Now our neighbours come to ask how to make their farms look like ours.”
The most striking outcome of the exit workshop was the strength of collaboration. The Building Resilience with Trees project successfully created a multi-actor climate platform involving:
Farmer Organizations
TTGAU and NADO now have Resilience Action Plans endorsed by local government authorities (LGA) — a major step for institutional integration.
Community Microfinance Groups mobilized 29 million Tanzanian Shillings in savings, enabling 135 farmers to buy land and invest in climate-smart production.
Research & Academia
Sokoine University of Agriculture - SUA provided scientific guidance through the project on soils, fertilization and long-term monitoring, ensuring that farmer innovations are grounded in research.
SUA will continue publishing technical reports and articles, keeping the knowledge loop open.
Local Government Authorities (LGAs)
Officials from district and regional levels committed to integrating the project practices into local climate strategies.
Their presence signals long-term support for scaling demonstration plots, sustainable land-use practices and bylaws for fire management.
Technical Agencies
Partners such as Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute - TARI, Southern Highlands Participatory Organization - SHIPO, Tanzania Forest Services Agency - TFS and Tanzania Meteorological Authority- TMA played key roles:
SHIPO offered expertise on local pesticide alternatives and farmer training support.
TARI emphasized soil-friendly, sustainable seed choices.
TFS stressed the importance of quality seedlings and resilient tree varieties.
the FORLAND project highlighted the need for farmer ambassadors to spread knowledge.
This network — farmers, farmer’s organizations, researchers, LGAs and technical agencies — is the legacy of the Building Resilience with Trees project.
Inclusive participation
The FORI project directly reached 3,001 farmers (2,291 through NADO and 710 through TTGAU), including 1,510 women and 1,491 men out of which 981 youth and 42 persons with disabilities.
Persons with Disabilities representatives emphasized how the project gave them visibility and access to knowledge previously out of reach.
Stronger local governance
NADO supported the creation of fire management bylaws in 8 villages, improving landscape-level resilience.
Farmers gained skills in responsible agrochemical use and in producing safe, local organic alternatives.
Shifts in mindset
Farmers shared powerful testimonies:
“We thought trees compete with crops, now we see they improve the soil, increase yields and give us material for biochar and fodder.”
“Beekeeping used to give us a few litres of honey, now we harvest 15 litres from one hive.”
”Beekeeping used to give us a few litres of honey, now we harvest 15 litres from one hive.”
Even as the FORI project closes in mid-2026, partners are committed to building on its achievements.
Priorities for the next phase:
Continued monitoring of biochar, agroforestry and beekeeping experiments
Strengthening farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing through ambassadors and demo plots
Expanding CMGs and youth- and women-led enterprises
Deepening collaboration between farmers’ organizations, SUA, LGAs and technical institutions
Ensuring safe, informed use of agrochemicals and scaling natural alternatives
Embedding climate-resilient practices into long-term local government planning
As the Njombe Regional Agricultural Officer said in the final remarks: “This is not the exit — this is a start.”
”This is not the exit — this is a start.”
The project “Building Resilience with Trees: climate proofing of services provision by local farmer organizations in Tanzania” is implemented by Food and Forest Development Finland – FFD in collaboration with local partners Njombe Agricultural Development Organization (NADO), Tanzania Tree Growers Association Union (TTGAU) and Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) 2022-2026.
The project is part of the AgriCord-led Farmer-led Research and Innovation (FO-led R&I or FO-RI) programme with the financial support of the European Commission (EC) and Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
Pictures by FFD, NADO and TTGAU
In the golden rangelands of Northern Tanzania, the dawn has traditionally been marked by a heavy, acrid haze. For centuries, Maasai and Meru women began their days leaning over the "three-stone fire," breathing in thick smoke while preparing the family’s first meal. Today, that haze is lifting. This is the story of the "Greener Tanzania" project (2023–2026)—a strategic mission to replace the "thief of time" with technology that protects health, empowers women, and cools the planet.
A Boma is a livestock enclosure, community enclosure, or a district government office. It is particularly associated with community decision making.
Photo: Jenny Öhman/FFD
For the women of Arusha, traditional cooking is more than a chore; it is a health crisis. Indoor smoke can contain levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) up to 100 times higher than safety limits, making household air pollution one of the leading cause of death in Tanzania.
"Before, the smoke was everywhere in the boma. It made our eyes red, and our children were always coughing. Now, with the new stove, the house is clean, and I am not suffering from chest pain anymore. I have more time for my beadwork."
— Testimonial from a Maasai woman in Longido, Maisha Bora Project, Trias.
Tanzania is at a demographic crossroads. The population, currently approximately 70.6 million, is projected to nearly double to 129.6 million by 2050. This growth creates a “Squeeze on the Commons,” where the demand for domestic fuel—predominantly wood and charcoal (95%)—threatens to outpace nature's ability to regenerate.
Deforestation Crisis: Tanzania already has one of the highest deforestation rates globally, losing approximately 469,000 hectares of forest per year.
Economic Cost: The cost of inaction on clean cooking is estimated at US $39 billion annually, driven by health burdens and lost productivity..
Maankäyttö: Vuosien 2017 - 2023 välillä yli 150.000 hehtaaria Maa'saiden laidunmaata on otettu viljelymaaksi, joka osaltaan vähentää perinteisen kestävän polttopuun saatavuutta.
The Land Pressure: Between 2017 and 2023, over 152,000 hectares of Maasai rangelands were converted to cropland, further reducing the availability of traditional sustainable firewood sources.
The project was implemented to empower Ma’asai communities—particularly women and youth—by integrating environmental restoration with social justice and economic resilience. By securing land rights and introducing sustainable technologies, the project seeks to transform lives while protecting the fragile ecosystems that sustain them.
Photo: Jenny Öhman/FFD
Photo: Jenny Öhman/FFD
Environmental Restoration: Facilitated massive tree-planting campaigns and established tree nurseries in schools and youth groups to restore degraded lands.
Photo: Jenny Öhman/FFD
Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Installed energy-efficient stoves and rainwater harvesting tanks in households to reduce the time women spend fetching water and firewood.
Women’s Empowerment and Leadership: Trained women as "Land Rights Champions" and provided intensive leadership training to encourage them to contest in local government elections.
Sustainable Livelihoods: Conducted training on sustainable beekeeping, holistic grazing management, and financial inclusion through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA).
5,227 Total Beneficiaries: This includes 2,197 women, 1,300 men, 1,531 youth and 199 persons with disabilities reached reached through various trainings and workshops.
54,975 Trees Planted (2023-2025): A total of 11,675 trees in the first half of the year 2025 and 6,549 in the final quarter, with an average survival rate of 75%.
511 Women Elected: Out of 683 women who contested for local government positions in Monduli District, 511 were elected, including 13 from the Women’s Rights and Leadership Forums (WRLF).
14,620.29 Hectares Managed: Large tracts of land are now under holistic grazing plans across three villages.
Project provided: 32 insulated cookers, 20 efficient stoves, and 50 rainwater harvesting tanks, which gave confidence for the community to invest on 44 water tanks and 53 stoves.
As of January 2026, the community is benefiting from 94 water tanks and 105 energy efficient cooking devices.
One of the project’s most significant breakthroughs is the shift toward stoves built entirely from locally available materials—specifically stones, sand, and cow dung.
Photo: Jenny Öhman/FFD
Photo: Jenny Öhman/FFD
This is not just a technical choice; it is a strategy for total community independence.
Economic Independence: By using stones, sand, and dung, the project "enables everyone on the ground to make use of it," regardless of their income level. This removes the financial barrier of imported metal or industrial components.
Technical Sustainability: Unlike specialized appliances, these models do not require external supply chains or "city paychecks" for repairs. If a stove is damaged, the materials for repair are found right in the boma.
Cultural Congruence: Different options were pre-tested specifically to find a stove that "will suffice the need of pastoral women," ensuring the design fits the specific pots and cooking habits of the Maasai and Meru.
Organic Scaling: Because the materials are ubiquitous, the technology can spread "bottom-up" without waiting for new project shipments or external contractors.
The arrival of these stoves has sparked a chain reaction of "organic scaling." Communities are no longer just receiving technology; they are demanding it at their own expense.
Neema Charles at the new and improved stove
Photo: Jenny Öhman/FFD
Self-Initiated Adoption: PWC reported receiving calls from community members in villages where they had not yet intervened, requesting "the supplier's and contractor’s contacts to book the tanks and stoves to be installed to the families at their own cost."
Peer Training: After the initial dissemination, Neema Charles and 36 "Trainers of Trainers" began teaching neighbors, leading to a rapid spread where "more families enjoy cleaner and safer cooking" through community-led efforts.
Changing the Male Perspective: The revolution has reached the men. In Makuyuni, husbands who initially questioned the initiatives now push their wives to attend meetings. One husband recently asked: "How can you miss a meeting that gave you the milking goat?"
The Greener Tanzania project aligns strongly with Tanzania's national climate and development frameworks, particularly in its focus on the Northern Highlands' pastoralist communities.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 2021 & Climate Strategy:
Emissions Reductions: Tanzania's updated NDC (2021) raised its 2030 emission reduction target to 30-35%. Greener Tanzania’s planting of 54,975 trees contributes directly to the NDC’s forestry sector mitigation goals.
Climate Adaptation: The National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) 2021-2026 prioritizes adaptation for livestock and water-stressed areas.
National Clean Cooking Strategy (2024-2034):
Access Targets: The national strategy aims for 80% clean cooking access by 2034. Greener Tanzania’s distribution of insulated and energy-efficient stoves to 50 households and training of 36 Trainers of Trainers (TOTs) acts as a critical grassroots implementation of this vision.
Health and Gender: The strategy emphasizes reducing the 39,200 annual deaths linked to household air pollution. Project’s focus on women-led energy solutions directly addresses the "health-energy-gender" nexus highlighted in the National Gender and Women Development Policy (2023).
Pastoralist Rights & Governance: Research on dryland governance in Monduli and Ngorongoro emphasizes the need for devolved climate planning. Project’s work through UCRT and PWC to secure land rights and establish Emurwa Women’s Rights and Leadership Forums (WRLFs) directly empowers Maasai communities to manage their resources.
Political Representation: The National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III) prioritizes inclusive human development. Project’s success in getting 511 women elected to local government positions is a landmark achievement that exceeds regional norms for pastoralist areas.
Picture: Jenny Öhman/FFD
In the Maasai community in Tanzania, rainwater is a vital resource. Through the Greener Tanzania project, FFD support women with rainwater harvesting systems that collect water from rooftops and channel it into 5,000-liter tanks. This simple solution has transformed daily life: water is now easily available for cooking, livestock, and other household needs. With less time spent fetching water, girls in the family have better opportunities to attend school.
Neema Charles is one of the women involved in the project. She shares water with others, as the community has 50 supported tanks and a strong willingness to help each other. The water tank opened up new possibilities: as soon as she received it, Neema started a kitchen garden where she grows tomatoes and leafy greens. Fresh vegetables improve family nutrition and provide extra income.
Picture: Jenny Öhman/FFD
Picture: Jenny Öhman/FFD
After losing her husband, Neema no longer owns livestock - her husband’s relatives kept the family’s cows and goats. She currently cares for two cows but plans to buy more chickens and goats, and eventually her own cattle. The water tank and garden are her first steps toward financial independence.
Picture: Jenny Öhman/FFD
In the Greener Tanzania project, 32 women have also received improved stoves. These stoves use less firewood, remove smoke from the house through a chimney, and allow two pots to cook at the same time. This saves time and improves health. Neema didn’t stop at using the stove—she designed a model that can be built with locally available materials and taught other women how to make their own. Now, more families enjoy cleaner and safer cooking.
Picture: Jenny Öhman/FFD
Picture: Jenny Öhman/FFD
Neema is an example of a strong woman who finds ways to move forward and help others. Her story shows how water and creativity can change the course of life—and the future of an entire community.
FFD’s project Greener Tanzania is implemented by the local Pastoral Women’s Council, MviwaArusha and UCRT, in collaboration with Trias. The project is supported through Finland’s development cooperation.
Since 2020, the Building Resilience Part I (BR-I) tool has helped farmer organisations (FOs) and agri-agencies to plan practical climate adaptation interventions. At the moment, more than 300 facilitators have been trained, with more than 1,700 farmers participating in workshops. In June 2023 and again in October 2024, capitalisation workshops gathered practitioners to share experience, refine the tool, and grow a community of practitioners committed to continuous learning for climate action.
Through this collaborative environment, participants discussed the importance of customising and contextualising the BR-I tool for diverse agricultural settings. The testing and roll-out of the tool was supported by the AFD-SEPOP program, IFAD/EU, BMZ, as well as the Forest and Farm Facility (FAO-FFF). This blog synthesises the insights – what has worked, where we need to improve, and what the data from 64 training and farmer-workshop reports tells us about prioritised hazards and feasible solutions.
Across 2023–2024, three messages repeat:
Make it simple, visual, and local: develop glossaries in local languages, use intuitive and locally relevant examples, and group farmers by crop or ecological zone, if possible, to increase farmers’ ownership.
Need for continued learning: maintain in-person workshops and complement them with active learning cycles and peer support, such as the periodic capitalisation events.
Simplify reporting: making it more relevant for FOs and agri-agencies, easy to connect to existing data collection routines or capacity building plans.
Feedback indicates that farmers appreciated the structured discussions and felt empowered to identify their climate priorities and a sense of ownership for the process. The tool's flexibility allowed for local adaptations and encouraged participation from women and youth. The structured approach helped them identify climate finance priorities and understand fundamental climate change concepts. The knowledge blending approach – bringing together farmer experience and science - builds relevance and trust.
Among challenges, time management was a recurring issue, with varying levels of understanding among participants sometimes hindering discussions and agreement. Identified interventions sometimes remained vague or beyond farmer capacities and the facilitators’ skills become vital to develop feasible plans. Additionally, the reporting process was noted as cumbersome for farmer organisations.
For long-term success, participants in the capitalisation process indicated that it is crucial to involve local government representatives in workshops to foster ownership among farmers and ensure that adaptation plans align with broader public priorities and regional environmental strategies. Facilitators should also consider FO’s maturity while analysing the feasibility of resilience plans; emphasising low-cost, low-effort, easily implementable interventions can promote ownership and build momentum.
With the combined effort of FFD, AFDI and TRIAS, an updated version of the Building Resilience Tool -I (BR-I), was made available in June 2025, incorporating the feedback and recommendations provided during the capitalisation process. The new version is available in English, French, Spanish, and Swahili.
FERT and FIFATA adapted the BR-I tool for local farmers in Madagascar by developing a shorter, more visual version. They emphasised participatory exercises such as seasonal calendars and landscape mapping (watershed thinking); these modifications allowed farmers to engage in discussions about local hazards and potential solutions. A particular focus was placed on engaging youth, who provided unique insights into local agricultural practices. However, questions arose regarding the representativeness of individual experiences and the necessity of collective planning by farmer organisations.
In the Philippines, TRIAS integrated the BR-I tool with the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) framework; given the increasing frequency of typhoons, this integration proved crucial. Participatory land mapping was employed to identify vulnerabilities, facilitating discussions that enhanced farmers' understanding of adaptive actions.
In Togo, Afdi and Ctop conducted BR-I workshops across five agro-ecological regions, engaging regional stakeholders in creating actionable plans that were subsequently refined at the national level. This approach facilitated that regional differences are respected while drafting a cohesive national strategy. Other NGOs and partners were engaged to mobilise implementation funding.
In Tanzania, FFD, NADO and TTGAU used BR-I to identify farmers-led research priorities to promote agroecology and increase the resilience of smallholder farmers and tree growers. Several experimental sites were established to tailor the use of biochar on different crop combinations, compare honey production for different beehives, and evaluate the impact of bylaws and awareness on the frequency and intensity of local fires.
”The consolidated data from 14 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, identifying the main climatic hazards by farmers, suggest a common thread: IT IS MOSTLY ABOUT WATER!”
More than 60% of the climate-associated hazards identified are directly related to either too much rain, too little rain or changes in rain patterns. Rain-related hazards increase up to 80% if we consider the indirect correlation with storms and landslides.
Across hazards, vulnerable groups face recurring constraints: limited land, cash for inputs and infrastructure, time for labour-intensive practices, and administrative access to insurance or state programs. Designing stepwise, affordable pathways – and ensuring facilitation reaches women and youth- is essential. Below are some examples of the intervention suggested for specific climate-associated hazards:
The BR-I tool represents a significant step forward in building resilience among agricultural communities facing climate challenges. Continued efforts to share knowledge, adapt the tool to local contexts, and engage government stakeholders will be essential for its ongoing success. Future workshops and feedback mechanisms will help refine the tool and support broader climate adaptation efforts.
Food and Forest Development Finland (FFD) is advancing its commitment to sustainable agriculture in Tanzania through the SENSOR project, building upon the successes of the previous SEMA initiative.
Building on SEMA's Success
The SEMA project (2021-2024) laid a strong foundation by enhancing Tanzanian farmers' skills in sustainable practices and market access. Through targeted training and capacity-building efforts, farmers gained valuable knowledge in areas such as climate-smart agriculture, food safety, and contract farming. This empowerment led to improved productivity and better integration into both domestic and international markets.
Introducing SENSOR: A Step Forward
Building on SEMA's achievements, the SENSOR project aims to further enhance smallholder livelihoods by promoting environmentally and socially responsible value chains. Implemented in collaboration with the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) and supported by FFD, SENSOR focuses on:
Capacity Building: Training 8,500 farmers, including women, youth, and persons with disabilities, on sustainability standards, climate-smart agriculture, and entrepreneurship.
Market Access: Facilitating access to both domestic and international markets through contract farming and direct linkages with buyers.
Inclusive Practices: Ensuring the active participation of marginalized groups in horticulture value chains.
Environmental Sustainability: Promoting practices that address climate change and food safety concerns.
Looking Ahead
The SENSOR project, with a budget of €406,120 and a duration from January 2025 to December 2028, is set to make a significant impact in the regions of Kilimanjaro, Njombe, and Mbeya. By leveraging the lessons learned from SEMA, SENSOR aims to create a more resilient and inclusive horticultural sector in Tanzania, ensuring sustainable livelihoods for smallholder farmers.
For a closer look at the impact of the SEMA project, watch the following video: SEMA Project Boosts Tanzanian Farmers' Skills for Better Market Access and Economic Growth
Laurent Mfugale of UWAMIMA tells about the challenges they have faced, such as transport permit from the government, lack of weighing scales and government regulation on timber drying fee. Today, several of these challenges are overcome, and the timber marketing center is progressing. Photo: Jenny Öhman / FFD.
How it all started
Local youth at work loading the timber trucks. Photo: Tuuli-Maria Mäki / FFD.
Umoja wa Wapanda Miti Matembwe (UWAMIMA) is a tree growers’ association based in Matembwe village, Njombe district, in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Established in 2009, UWAMIMA was among the first partners of FFD. Initially, the group comprised 45 farmers (18 women and 27 men) who, with FFD’s support, began purchasing high-value tree seeds and cultivating timber and utility poles trees. Today, the members of UWAMIMA grow timber and utility poles trees, fruit trees (avocado), undertake beekeeping activities, produce various vegetables, and rear chickens. The group also maintains tree nurseries and manages a revolving fund.
In 2018, as timber production increased within the group and the surrounding community, UWAMIMA and FFD decided to establish a market center where the group members could dry their timber centrally.
The village government allocated a 15-acre plot of land for the timber yard, district council support paving and grading of 0.7 km entry road, and FFD supported its initial development by installing fencing, building an office, and providing electricity. After the support from FFD concluded in March 2021, UWAMIMA established a company to manage the operations and finances of the timber yard. The local government opened an office to pay taxes and levies and UWAMIMA negotiated a possibility to carry out payments in the yard.
The UWAMIMA timber marketing center in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania was established in 2018. Photo: Jenny Öhman / FFD.
A unique farmer-led business
Pine tree seedlings in UWAMIMA’s tree nursery. Photo: Tuuli-Maria Mäki / FFD.
Tanzania Tree Growers’ Associations’ Union (TTGAU) has also been instrumental in supporting the timber yard’s business development and governance. TTGAU was founded in 2017 and has already gained a strong position in the forestry sector in the Southern Highlands area. They have helped UWAMIMA strengthen its management structure and engage in dialogue with local, regional, and national authorities. With the union’s help, UWAMIMA managed to negotiate the abolition of an extra drying fee and reduce the levies and taxes that the municipality was requesting from timber trucks, which threatened the whole timber trade. TTGAU was one of FFD's partners in the FO4ACP programme during 2023-24. While the main focus was to support different tree growers' associations to prepare for FSC certification, a small support was also given to the UWAMIMA timber yard to fix the feeder road which had been damaged by heavy rains.
Visiting UWAMIMA timber marketing center in 2023 with FFD, TTGAU and 30 stakeholders from FAO’s Forest and Farm Facility, government representatives from 6 regions, Tree Growers Associations and local NGOs. Photo: Jenny Öhman / FFD.
Being the only farmer-managed facility of its kind, UWAMIMA’s timber yard is unique and striving to serve as a model for other farmers. Members can dry their timber at the yard free of charge, while other plots are rented out for business purposes. Over the past three years, the group has successfully managed the timber yard, achieving significant progress. They operate a tree nursery, grow high-value timber trees, and empower both women and men to engage in more profitable ventures. The market center has created a steady income stream while also generating tax revenue for the local government. The timber yard has helped farmers to enhance the timber value chain, enabling them to secure fair prices for their timber. Unlike in the past, when middlemen dictated terms, members can now negotiate directly with buyers and achieve better margins. Compared to growing crops like avocado, timber cultivation has proven to be more cost-effective.
Making a long-lasting local impact
The timber yard’s impact on UWAMIMA members is profound. With easier market access and reserved plots for storing timber, farmers can choose to sell immediately or wait for better prices. The group has implemented a market information system to monitor timber prices, supply, and demand, providing members with more predictable pricing before deciding to sell or process their woodlots. Improved processes ensure no timber is processed without a prior woodlot evaluation, securing income for the farmers. This success has doubled UWAMIMA’s membership since the beginning and created valuable employment opportunities for local youth; approximately 85 young men are currently employed sorting and loading timber. This temporary employment at the timber yard is one of the few opportunities for youth to make a living in the village.
Women’s participation in the timber business has also increased significantly. Women play a pivotal role in Tanzania’s forestry sector, serving as change agents at various levels. They contribute labor as family members, own forests, and manage businesses. UWAMIMA has showcased that women can not only provide labor in the forest sector but can as well own forests and engage in different levels of the value chain. They establish and manage nurseries, woodlots and market forest products. Now the women have gained a much stronger presence in the village economy and governance.
Women’s participation in the timber business has increased significantly in the last years. Photo: Tuuli-Maria Mäki / FFD.
Business improvements are still ongoing, with plans to acquire a new sawmill and to mobilize the group members to diversify their economic streams and to plant and protect more trees. Alongside these advancements, a noticeable transformation has occurred in members’ attitudes and confidence. They are more self-assured, innovative, and equipped to drive their business forward. Secured income also allow members to focus on broader goals, such as cultivating indigenous tree species to enhance biodiversity.
FFD and TTGAU visiting the timber yard in Matembwe in October 2024. Photo: Tuuli-Maria Mäki / FFD.
Fish farming has bettered livelihoods in the Nepal Terai, with more and more women taking up the activity. The Finnish Agri-Agency for Food and Forest Development’s (FFD) support to three women fish farming cooperatives has reached over 300 women and their families. Over the past decade, this support has ranged from digging small garden fishponds, to establishing women groups and cooperatives, and mainstreaming their activities. In the latest phase, FFD is supporting women fish farmers in their entrepreneurship journeys and income generation.
Flooding in Nawalparasi during the monsoon season. Photo: Sundardeep Women Fish Farmers’ Cooperative.
The women have received training on how to start a business, how to make business plans, how to develop their products and how to market them. The women fish farmers involved are, however, in the very best sense of the word: multitaskers. They not only manage their households, alongside their fish farms, but are also involved in other types of agricultural work from rice farming to vegetable farming and livestock farming. However, they are working together in cooperatives, which lends them the opportunity to divide time as well as share responsibilities and resources amongst themselves.
However, fish farming in Nepal comes with other challenges. Climate change comes with risks to livelihoods, food security and nutrition. Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns are a huge problem. On the one hand, extreme hot weather conditions result in water scarcity and lowering of ground water tables and negatively affect fish farming activities. On the other hand, heavy rainfall and monsoons cause flooding which damage dykes around fishponds and leads to losses of fish. In 2020, for instance over 80% of fishponds in the entire country were affected by floods.
Damaged fishponds due to flooding in Nawalparasi during the monsoon season. Photo: Sundardeep Women Fish Farmers’ Cooperative.
In 2021, the project provided 86 women fish farmers support in the preparation of their fishponds, to help construct the dykes to better withstand flooding. Furthermore, women fish farmers were also provided information on how stresses from flood and drought impact fish health in carps and how to mitigate these stresses, through regulation of oxygen levels and proper water management techniques. Among, the project beneficiaries, Mishrit Fish Farming Cooperative in Nawalparasi has been the most affected by floods. The Narayani River that flows through the region is prone to flooding during the monsoon season. The flooding also subsequently leads to landslides. A nearby dam in Sitapur also causes frequent flooding. Existing flood based early warning systems are not very reliable and not all areas in Nepal are covered. For this reason, an early warning system is being installed to serve the fish farmers and community in the Nandapur area in Nawalparasi. This will be implemented through a public-private-partnership including FFD, the Mishrit Fish Farming Cooperative and the Madhyabindu Municipality. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology of Nepal will also support the venture, by providing accurate and current data of water levels.
Other challenges, however, remain. Animals like crocodiles may also venture out further from their normal habitat range during the rains. The Mishrit Fish Farming Cooperative, for example, was caught off-guard when a crocodile ventured into the village causing fear and mayhem. The villagers came together to capture the beast and release it into the river far away from the village. However, crocodiles are known to venture into the nearby fishponds and are a cause of fear for the women fish farmers.
Other wild animals are also a concern for women fish farmers. Wild boar and rhino sometimes come to feed on vegetables on the dykes or in vegetable pads near the fishponds. In Chitwan, this challenge is being solved by creating buffer zones between the Chitwan National Park and residential areas. However, not every region in the Nepal Terai is next to a national park.
Chinta Mani Thanet, Mishrit Fish Farmers’ Cooperative holding off a rampant crocodile. Photo: Sundardeep Women Fish Farmers’ Cooperative.
To combat the challenges to fish farming caused by climate change and other natural phenomena, the project has organised several trainings and workshops on assessing climate risks and building resilience with the beneficiary cooperatives. Furthermore, consultations with a diverse group of stakeholders including fisheries and aquaculture experts, policy makers, academics and field practitioners have been held to gather their insights on climate risk mitigation and building resilience.
This has culminated in the development of ‘Guidelines for Climate Smart Fish Farming in Nepal’. The guidelines are targeted to fish farmers, fish feed producers, processors, traders, transporters, policy makers, fish farming experts and anyone working in the sector. The guidelines focus mainly on carp culture and offers an overview of the current practices and policies on fish farming in Nepal, and the challenges face. The guidelines discuss the climate risks associated with fish farming and how fish farming affects the climate and environment and conclude with suggestions for the reduction of the climate and environmental risks. The guidelines are available in English and Nepali. The collaborative nature undertaken in the development of these guidelines ensures that the voice of the Nepali women fish farmers is kept alive in decisions and actions that affect them.
Roseanna Avento
Kobe Global
Twinning Partner Representative Finnish Fish Farmers’ Association
The project: ‘Women for Entrepreneurship and Resilience - transforming fish-farming and forest value-chains’ project in Nepal’ is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland from 2021-2024
Beekeeping and poultry combined with Acacia trees has been providing additional income for Tran Thi Lan Sinh and her family in Vietnam.
Tran Thi Lan Sinh is a farmer from Binh Yen village in Quang Ngai province, Vietnam. Har family of four have half a hectare agricultural land and 3 hectares forest land. The main livelihood activity is combined production of agriculture and forestry, along with livestock farming. The family has benefited from the FFD project through beekeeping activities.
Tran Thi Lan Sinh on how her family has benefitted from the project:
Tran Thi Lan Sinh have learned about beekeeping through the FFD project.
“Prior to our involvement in the project, our family was engaged in cultivating rice and a variety of flower types, while simultaneously planting Acacia hybrid trees and raising poultry beneath the forest canopy. With the support of the project, our family has introduced more bee colonies under the Acacia hybrid trees, a development that has greatly enthused us due to the supplementary income it brings. We firmly believe that the harmonious integration of forest cultivation and livestock farming is a highly efficient approach. In particular, the coexistence of poultry and bees under the Acacia hybrid trees has proven to be a symbiotic arrangement, with poultry benefiting from termite insects as a food source and the Acacia flowers serving as a valuable resource for honey production. Through this combined approach of cultivating Acacia hybrid trees and raising livestock under the forest canopy, our family has successfully generated additional income. Looking ahead, we have plans to expand our beekeeping operations to further support our livelihoods and to help replicate this model for the benefit of others in our community.”
Photos credit: ©FFD
