Dar es Salaam, Tanzania//- Today marks a milestone with the Growing Together Program in Tanzania, a dynamic initiative that brings together public and private sectors—including the Ministry of Agriculture, SMEs, financial institutions, and off-takers—to drive sustainable, inclusive market transformation.
The program aims to transform local food markets, improve local food security and local economies and increase the income of smallholder farmers. Through scaling the operations of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to become larger and stronger food companies in Tanzania, the program seeks to realise this impact.
The program focuses on farmers and SMEs working in the maise, beans, sunflower, and soybean value chains in the Mbeya, Dodoma, Iringa, and Morogoro regions.
The program is an initiative of IDH and funded by NORAD. In partnership with Alliance Biodiversity & CIAT, Rikolto and the Eastern African Grain Council, IDH leads the implementation.
The launch event underscored the program’s mission to bolster smallholder farmers and local SMEs, equipping them with the capacity, resources and value chain connections needed to drive scalable production and market access. The Growing Together Program will create enduring partnerships among producers, end-buyers, and financial institutions, building solutions that promote market access, strengthen local economies, and pave the way for Tanzania’s agricultural future.
Collaborating for Sustainable Growth
Japhet Nyang’oro Sudi, Tanzania Country Director at IDH, emphasised the unique collaborative nature of the Growing Together Program in tackling systemic challenges in agriculture, “Together, we are strengthening Tanzanian farmers and SMEs, ensuring they have the tools to succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape. We deeply value the leadership and support from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Norwegian Government, whose contributions align seamlessly with Tanzania’s national development goals.”
Lazaro Mwakipesile, taker Representative, shared his perspective on the Program’s impact on business models and farmer relations:
“To serve our farmers effectively, we need business models that boost farmer engagement and loyalty while reducing service costs and risks. We look forward to innovating and refining our approach to expand sourcing, lower transaction costs, and better support farmers. The Growing Together Program is a pivotal step in that direction, helping us create a sustainable model that benefits all stakeholders.”
Kebba Colley, Global Director for Value Chain Transformation at IDH, explained the importance of fostering local agrifood companies: “Africa has an urgent need to cultivate its own fast-moving consumer goods companies within the agrifood sector. With the Growing Together Program, IDH is committed to scaling SMEs into leading food processing companies that can transform rural economies. By increasing farmer incomes and building production resilience, we’re laying the foundation for a sustainable agrifood industry in Africa.”
Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted the government’s support for the initiative: “The Ministry of Agriculture fully supports the Growing Together initiative, as it aligns with Tanzania’s development goals for 2030.
This program complements our ongoing efforts and national strategies, helping to strengthen our agricultural sector through collaboration and shared commitment. Together, we are advancing the government’s vision for a resilient and prosperous future for Tanzanian agriculture.”
Growing Local SMEs and Farmers to Transform Markets
The Growing Together Program is focused on accelerating the inclusive growth of local SMEs and smallholder farmers as the bedrock of Tanzania’s agricultural value chains. Initially, the Program will directly support 10 SMEs and off-takers across the maise, beans, sunflower, and soybean value chains, impacting 60,000 farmers and enhancing their capacity to sustainably scale food production.
It will also strengthen sector associations and share knowledge and insights with other businesses, creating ripple effects across the value chain.
Through investment development activities, the program includes comprehensive support for improved access to affordable finance, enabling SMEs and farmers to expand their operations and invest in their productivity.
Additionally, by building stronger market linkages, the Growing Together Program aims to unlock premium national and regional markets for farmers and SMEs. Efforts to promote climate-adaptive and regenerative agricultural practices will increase the resilience of farmers to climate shocks.
The launch event served as a platform for key stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities, provided input to the program and fostered collaboration. The sessions covered topics such as investment in SMEs, production landscape resilience, and the role of the private sector in driving systemic change.
The event introduced the Food Systems Transformation Alliance approach, a private sector-driven initiative aiming to unlock market and local sourcing commitments.
The Growing Together Program invited stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including government bodies, financial institutions, and private enterprises, to join and collaborate on this initiative. By working together, the Program aims to transform food systems, improve livelihoods, and create sustainable economic progress in Tanzania and beyond.
