Youth and Digital Innovation Take Centre Stage in Tanzania’s Agricultural Transformation

The United Nations, the European Union and partners came together at Innovation Week Tanzania recently for a session on how young people and digital technology can transform the country's agriculture — and to open the call for applications to the Agritech4Tanzania Accelerator, a programme that supports Tanzanian agri-tech and fintech companies to build and scale digital tools that help smallholder farmers access finance, markets, inputs and advice.

Co-created with Kilimo-Organic Solutions (KIOSO) under the theme "Youth Making the Big Bet in Agribusiness," the session at drew founders, government officials and young innovators to explore ideas on rebranding farming as agribusiness and on the knowledge, finance and technology that make it possible.

Opening the session, Ms. Susan Ngongi Namondo, UN Resident Coordinator in Tanzania, recognized the importance of placing agriculture at the heart of Tanzania's development ambitions. "Agriculture isn't just one sector among many — it's where most Tanzanians earn their living. That's precisely why growth here counts more: when agriculture grows, it has the potential to impact far more people than most other sectors," she said, linking the sector's promise directly to inclusive growth and Tanzania Development Vision 2050.

For the European Union — a key funder of the Agritech4Tanzania Accelerator through the Joint SDG Fund — the message was about the power of connected data. "Agricultural data in Tanzania has historically been scattered — different platforms, different institutions, no common standards," said Mr. Jose-Luis Gonzalez representing the EU Delegation to Tanzania. "It's about treating data as a strategic asset, not an afterthought." That vision sits at the core of the Data for Digital Agricultural Transformation (D4DAT) Joint Programme, which is helping the Government build the data foundations — from governance frameworks to farmer registries — that let digital services reach smallholder farmers.

The Agritech4Tanzania Accelerator turns that vision into practical support for the companies building those tools. Selected agri-techs that successfully apply to the accelerator receive expert coaching and training, links to investors, and grant funding for the strongest teams — with women and youth-led companies especially encouraged to apply.

Applications are now open, with a deadline of 30 September.

The Agritech4Tanzania Accelerator is being implemented by the Government and the UN in partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT with support from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and is managed by DLab.