cases from tanzania - Sustainet

Results
PELUM-Tanzania: Networking for sustainable agriculture
Farmers groups’ networks are becoming common all over the country. They have gained
confidence by exchanging experience and mutual learning. Extensionists have come to appreciate
the farmers’ detailed understanding of their crops. Livestock and surroundings, and
have a new, positive attitude towards this knowledge.
PELUM-Tanzania’s member and partner organizations facilitate the organization of farmers’
groups and organizations and networks in their own areas. Such networks are becoming
increasingly popular, and have achieved a great deal of recognition inside and outside Tanzania
since the Small Farmers’ Convergence preparations started in 2001. Networks affiliated with
PELUM-Tanzania are attractive partners for government agencies and NGOs.
Unlike most projects and donor-driven farmers’ organizations, local MVIWATA groups and
networks have a high degree of financial autonomy and independence.
Advocacy
There are many powerful stakeholders in agriculture and rural development: large-scale farmers,
agro-industries, supermarkets, consumers, research agencies, government departments,
foreign governments, multinational firms, and so on. Their interests differ, and the voice of
small-scale farmers is often drowned out by the noise.
Small-scale farmers can be very articulate in developing and expressing their opinions. But
they need help to gain a voice, a place at the table where policy decisions are made. PELUM-
Tanzania’s advocacy programme helps them do this.
Activities
Following the Small Farmers’ Convergence, PELUM-Tanzania initiated a project to facilitate
MVIWATA’s work in Tanzania. This aimed to sensitize more small-scale farmers on the range
of local to global issues discussed in the Convergence and the agreements made there, and
to help farmers advocate for their own interests through farmers’ groups and networks.
In collaboration with VECO-Tanzania (a Belgian NGO), PELUM-Tanzania also started
advocacy work on food security issues, including sustainable agriculture, produce marketing,
access to land, and farmers’ income.
PELUM-Tanzania organizes zonal workshops on policy analysis, negotiation skills, decisionmaking
processes and strategic advocacy issues. It has held two workshops for 64 farmers
on policy formulation and policy analysis. It lobbies and advocates together with farmer and
development organizations on food and seed security, markets and trade, sustainable land use
management and sustainable agriculture, biosafety and genetically modified organisms.
Outside the country, the organization collaborates with various global networks on advocacy
and lobbying activities. For example, it is part of a joint effort against genetically modified
organisms with partners in Africa, Latin America and Asia. It has printed and distributed
2000 advocacy booklets and 5000 leaflets for this campaign.
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