From Seaweed to Sea Cucumber: Building Livelihoods Through the Blue Economy

Zanzibar, Tanzania – On the shores of Chukwani, Unguja, small groups of farmers are building more than fences in the water—they’re building a future of sea cucumber production for Tanzania.

Friday, 13 June, a team from IFAD, led by Jenny Scharrer, Director of the Private Sector Operations Division, visited Zanzibar as part of a broader mission to deepen engagement with private sector partners. The visit focused on the Agriculture and Fisheries Development Programme (AFDP), which is helping small-scale farmers, fishers, and youth entrepreneurs unlock the potential of Tanzania’s blue economy.

“The training we got on sea cucumber farming has been useful, and there’s money in it,” said one farmer from Chukwani. But the group is still young. We’re learning, and we hope to grow—but we also face challenges like weather damage and fencing problems.”

Funded by IFAD, the Government of Tanzania, private sector partners, and local communities, the AFDP programme works in 41 districts across the mainland and Zanzibar. Its goal is to improve productivity, profitability, and resilience in agriculture and aquaculture.

In Zanzibar, the programme has introduced:

• Training and nurseries for deep-water seaweed farming
• Support for youth-led aquaculture groups
• Partnerships with hatcheries like ZMHL to produce sea cucumber and milkfish seed
• A new tissue culture lab and value addition initiatives through ZAFIRI

The programme is benefiting over 260,000 households, with many seeing firsthand how small investments can drive lasting change.

“This farming makes money,” shared a sea cucumber farmer. “We’ve sold our initial harvests for around 5,000 TZS per piece of the sea cucumber. But our biggest challenge is the market. We mostly sell to the Zanzibar Hatchery, but demand changes. We hope the government and partners can help us access more buyers.”

During the visit, IFAD’s delegation also met with government officials and private sector players including CRDB Bank. Together, they discussed how to strengthen the role of investment in rural value chains and scale up business support for farmers and fishers.

“This project came at the right time,” said a government representative. “It directly supports our national blue economy policy, and it’s already making an impact—whether in seaweed labs, hatcheries, or new fishing vessels.”

The government highlighted AFDP’s potential to link rural producers with larger markets and support youth through practical training, business development, and micro-financing options.

For IFAD, this mission reaffirmed the importance of building long-term partnerships that centre on people and local solutions.

“We are here to help smaller communities—especially poor and underserved farmers—improve their lives,” said Mr. Sakphouseth Meng, IFAD Country Director. “Working with the Ministries of Agriculture and Blue Economy, we are proud to support efforts that make a real difference on the life of the rural poor.”

The visit was part of a wider PSD mission across East and Southern Africa to identify opportunities for scaling up non-sovereign operations (NSOs) and strengthen IFAD’s approach to inclusive rural finance and private sector collaboration.

Back in Zanzibar, the sea cucumber farmers are hopeful. Their journey may have just begun, but the waters are full of promise—and they’re not swimming alone.