Sustaining Livelihoods through Organic Agriculture in Tanzania - UMB

Chapter Five: Organic Agriculture in Tanzania
Different countries have vastly differing histories of organic agriculture, depending on
their agroecological conditions and socio-political and economic contexts (Rundgren,
2006; Taylor, 2006). This section provides an overview of the history, status and
modus operandi of organic agriculture in Tanzania, revealing some of the countryspecific
opportunities and pitfalls of developing the organic sector.
5.1 Country background
The United Republic of Tanzania (hereafter referred to simply as Tanzania) has a total
population of 34.6 million and covers an area of 94.3 million ha, of which 5.1 million
ha are cultivated annually (about 5% of the surface area) (TARPII, 2004). Agriculture
supplies approximately 57% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs 70-90%
of the workforce (United Republic of Tanzania, 2006). A household budget survey in
2002 revealed that 19% of the population are below the food poverty line, meaning
that they have insufficient resources to meet calorific requirements, and 36% are
below the basic needs poverty line, although there is a large variation between regions
(Kinabo et al., 2004).
5.2 History of organic agriculture in Tanzania
Organic agriculture in Tanzania has a relatively long history. In 1898 Peramiho
Organic Garden was established in the Ruvuma region to produce a variety of
vegetables following organic principles including the use of manure and soil
conservation (Silenge & Bertram, 1996). In 1926 Peramiho exported seeds to the
Netherlands. The garden is still in existence and serves the Benedictine missionaries
of the area.
Sustainable agriculture, Soil and Water Conservation (SWC), agroforestry, Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) and related practices grew in the 1980s. A wide range of
different groups and organisations became involved, including farmers’ associations,
government research and extension and NGOs. Many of these organisations are
members of the civil society network, Participatory Ecological Land Use
Management (PELUM) Tanzania.
Certified organic agriculture emerged in Tanzania in the early 1990s. Amongst the
pioneering projects were Luponde organic tea from Iringa, Meatu organic cotton from
Shinyanga, Kyela organic cocoa production from Mbeya, and Kimango organic spices
and teas from Morogoro. In 2003 the first local certification body, the Tanzanian
certification association (TanCert) was established with support from the EPOPA
programme and a number of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). The first
certification of organic products for the domestic market was undertaken in 2004, and
the following year TanCert started inspection services for the export market. Prior to
this organic operators were using external certifiers.
Also in 2005 a national network called the Tanzanian Organic Agriculture Movement
(TOAM) was formed which places organic farming centre stage in the aims of the
members to counter food insecurity, poverty and environmental degradation. TOAM
emerged out of a need to improve access to relevant information, exchange
experiences and unify the organic movement by setting a priority agenda for the
organic sector particularly in the areas of research, marketing, learning and advocacy.
36