If you Google EPOPA you get more than 5000 hits. If you Google organic agriculture you get almost a million hits. This is far from a scientific approach but it says something on the outreach of organic agriculture in general and the EPOPA programme in Tanzania in particular.
Organic is not a small odd movement run by people from the green wave of my youth, it is a major global market with an increasing demand. Some of the most vocal customers are my own children… The consumers’ demand is eventually the most important driving force for organic agriculture production.
In light of the last year’s alarming news on food security it should be even more interesting, since organic offers a sustainable farming with same productivity if not better than traditional. From a Swedish government point of view the aspect of fair trade is strongly emphasised – good example.
Organic is also about sustainable agriculture, which is crucial considering climate changes. Organic famers are not only producing organic food, they are also producing public goods in the form of bio-diversity, soil conservation and climate regulation. Thus: Organic farmers are agents for environmental protection.
I had my first contact with the EPOPA-programme during the review in April. I was happy reading of the thoughts behind: there is a growing market – and there is a potential for export, it just does not go by itself. Aid for trade was needed.
I have heard from my colleagues that we have got to know the EPOPA team as very dedicated and professional. And we believe that EPOPA has paved the way for sustainable organic farming to develop. It has not been entirely easy as I understand from the book that we are about to launch today. We have had both success stories and more disappointing stories.
Still now we can summarise the results.
EPOPA has certainly contributed to establishing organic agriculture in Tanzania. We have seen 15 projects implemented involving coffee, fruits, spices, peanuts, vanilla, sesame, ginger, cotton, tuna, pineapple, cocoa. More than 45 000 farmers have been trained. But that would be of lmitied interest if we could not see any tangible results in term of outcomes. Fortunately we can. We see an export value being generated of more than 6 million USD per year. And we see, most importantly a premium generated for the farmers of 390 000 USD. That is significantly more than the figure I learnt just half a year ago.
Equally important is the institutionalisation of this form of agriculture that we are seeing.
Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM) is working hard to sustain the organic development. Tanzania Certification Body (TANCERT) has recently been internationally accredited, which is a crucial mile stone. And organic agriculture is acknowledged in GOT’s agriculture policy.
Window of opportunity for organic agriculture in Tanzania now considering that chemicals normally are not used by the Tanzanian farmer, increasing world demand for agriculture product and organic especially, increasing prices in agriculture product, increasing awareness of agriculture sustainability issues.
Long and good cooperation now coming to an end. I think it is a natural step that organic production promoted by EPOPA is taken further on its own merits and be included in the planning of both GoT and the private sector itself. Perhaps with the support of other DPs – but remember at the same time that aid should not be forever. What we are doing, not least talking about trade, is to create preconditions for selfsustained growth and for gradually more equal relations between our countries.
Needs reforms also on our side. European agricultural policy. And development friendly EPAs to be negotiated. That is and will be important parts of the comprehensive Swedish policy for global development.
But I want to take this opportunity to stress also the need for improving the conditions for private sector led propoor growth in general in Tanzania.
It is worth noting the message in this book: EPOPA has been more successful in Uganda than in Tanzania, partly because Uganda has more enabling policies and a better business climate. The other day we saw challenging news along the same lines when Tanzania dropped a bit in the Doing business-survey from World bank.
This ranking is one of the indicators that we are following up in the process of providing General budget support for poverty reduction to Tanzania – for obvious reasons. It should not need to be like this. As development partners we stand ready to support, and we are already here to support. But we cannot do the job. Improving property rights. Improving the legal system. Improving governance. Eradicating corruption. All this needs continued and reinforced efforts from our tanzanian government partners.
In this context: Stress the importance of securing the citizens’ right to information. Transparency is key to accountability. And accountability is key to good governance.
The last two weeks I have visited Pemba and Lindi meeting children, especially children being active in Children’s councils. Fantastic resource for this country. Empowerment in their eyes. Demanding their rights.
Organic agriculture is an exciting possibility to improve incomes for poor people. I sincerely hope that we will see it further develop after the end of EPOPA within a context of an increasingly prosperous Tanzania – where we see not only economic growth in general but growth in standard of living for the children of this country. Those in Pemba and Lindi – and all the others.