In a bid to harness tremendous agro-opportunities, Tanzania, under the umbrella of the Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) program, welcomed global stakeholders to invest in the country's burgeoning agricultural sector. President Samia Suluhu Hassan extended the invitation during the ongoing Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The BBT initiative, aimed at achieving inclusive economic development and environmental protection, seeks to position Tanzania as a hub for food production in Eastern and Central Africa. President Samia expressed the nation's commitment to realizing a 10% growth in the agriculture sector by 2030, targeting eight million fully irrigated hectares.
To achieve this ambitious target, Tanzania aims to raise a total of $1.8 billion (over 4.52 trillion Tanzanian Shillings) in the next seven years. Speaking at a high-level meeting on agricultural opportunities for green growth transformation, President Samia highlighted the program's focus on engaging youth and women in farming to boost job creation, especially among the 70% youth demographic in the country.
The BBT program aligns with an agro-green revolution, incorporating sustainable irrigation systems to increase working hours per year. President Samia emphasized that the initiative addresses not only Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to zero hunger but also Goal 13, urging urgent actions to combat climate change and its impacts.
COP28 serves as a strategic platform for Tanzania to garner support for its green agricultural transformative vision. President Samia urged potential private sector partners worldwide to collaborate with Tanzania in facilitating a green agricultural revolution across entire agro-value chains.
Martien van Nieuwkoop, the World Bank’s Global Director of Agriculture and Food Global Practice, commended Tanzania for its BBT initiative. He praised the program for creating an enabling environment for youth and women to contribute to per capita income, economic growth, and climate change mitigation.
As the COP28 conference unfolds in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, 2023, it is anticipated to expedite the transition to clean energy, catalyze climate financing, and set the framework for a new climate financing approach. Tanzania's BBT program is poised to play a pivotal role in these global efforts.