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Data for Agriculture: Planting Digital Solutions to Drive Transformation

25 October 2024

Caption: Ms Shabnam Mallick, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office (front right), and Mr. Gerald Mweli, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture (front left) launch the Data for Digital Agricultural Transformation Joint Programme, alongside senior officials from the Ministry, UNCDF, FAO and IFAD.

Photo: © Ministry of Agriculture

The Tanzanian Government and the UN launched a new digital agriculture programme to boost rural productivity, improve market access, and empower women and youth

The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, in partnership with the United Nations, have launched the Data for Digital Agricultural Transformation Joint Programme (2024-2027) today. The programme, which aims to leverage digital technologies to transform Tanzania’s agricultural sector, will boost productivity and resilience in rural communities, with a special focus on empowering women and youth.

The USD 3 million initiative is supported by the European Union (EU) through the United Nations Joint SDG Fund, under the Fund’s Digital High-Impact Track. It will introduce digital platforms to deliver real-time agricultural data, improve farmers' access to information, enhance decision-making, and expand market opportunities. The programme will initially be rolled out in Dodoma, Kigoma, Ruvuma, and Manyara, regions where rural communities face significant agricultural challenges.

Caption: Mr. Gerald Mweli, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, addresses attendees, emphasizing the Government's commitment to the programme and the importance of digital solutions for transforming Tanzania's agricultural sector and empowering smallholder farmers.

Photo: © Ministry of Agriculture

"Today marks a critical step towards realizing our collective vision of a digital future for agriculture, one that empowers smallholder farmers through enhancing agri-food systems and accelerates the achievement of Agenda 10/30 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." - Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Gerald Mweli

The joint programme, led by the Ministry of Agriculture and the UN Resident Coordinator in Tanzania, will involve close collaboration between the Ministry, UNCDF (lead UN agency), FAO, IFAD, and other key stakeholders at both national and local levels.

Caption: Ms. Shabnam Mallick, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Tanzania, highlighted that the programme’s goal to build a digital ecosystem in agriculture that will attract further investments and amplify its impact by drawing in more partners and resources from both the public and private sectors.

Photo: © Ministry of Agriculture

"This joint programme demonstrates the strength of the partnership between the United Nations and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania. Together, with the generous support of the European Union and other contributors to the Joint SDG Fund, we are working towards empowering communities and decision-makers with the data and technologies needed to accelerate sustainable development in agriculture." - Ms Shabnam Mallick, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office

Caption: A diverse group of stakeholders, including government officials, UN agencies, private sector representatives, farmer groups, and development partners such as USAID, the World Bank, and AfDB, gathered for the launch.

Photo: © Ministry of Agriculture

The launch event brought together UN and government officials, farmer’s groups representatives, private sector representatives, and members of the Development Partners' Agricultural Working Group, including representatives from USAID, the World Bank, and AfDB. A stakeholders meeting is planned next week in Dar es Salaam to further build on the momentum to discuss collaboration and explore additional investment opportunities in digital agriculture.

The Data for Digital Agricultural Transformation Joint Programme aligns with Tanzania’s National Pathways for Food Systems Transformation, contributing to broader development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This Joint Programme is made possible thanks to the generous contributions to the Joint SDG Fund from the European Union and the Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Their support is driving a transformative movement towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.