DAR ES SALAAM, June 4 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — THE World Bank has approved a financing of 300 million US dollars (about 708bn/-) for implementation of Tanzania Food Systems Resilience Programme, which is a Programme for Results (PforR) under International Development Association (IDA).
The financing is part of a Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) aimed at increasing resilience of the food system that was launched in June 2022, with the aim of increasing food resilience systems and preparedness for food insecurity in the participating countries.
A statement issued by Word Bank has it that the approved money is set to benefit 300,000 Tanzanian farmers to adopt resilience-enhancing technologies and practices to increase their productivity, while facilitating access to assets and services for up to 1.8 million more farmers.
Speaking on the financing, the World Bank Country Director, Nathan Belete said the new program underscores harnessing the potential of agriculture-led growth to build up food systems resilience while generating jobs.
“Agriculture is key to inclusive economic growth and rural poverty reduction in Tanzania and the region more broadly,” he said, noting that nearly half of the beneficiaries are women.
He noted that the program supports implementation of three result areas under the government’s wider Agriculture Sector Development Programme II (ASDP II).
They include improved service delivery in research, extension and seeds, developing resilient rural infrastructure and strengthening fiscal performance to enable delivery on priority investment areas.
The Tanzania programme has been approved as part of the second and third phases of the Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP) for Eastern and Southern Africa totaling 903 million US dollars.
The rest of the financing is allocated to Comoros (40 million US dollars), Kenya (150 million US dollars), Malawi (250 million US dollars), Somalia (150 million US dollars) and the African Union Commission (13 million US dollars).
Launched in June 2022, the program’s first phase provides support to Ethiopia and Madagascar, as well as two regional bodies.
According to the World Bank, multiple shocks affect African food systems, with extreme weather, pest and disease outbreaks and political and market instability becoming more frequent.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is further exacerbating these impacts by disrupting the global food, fuel and fertilizer markets, as a result, an estimated 83 million people in the region are projected to experience food stress or a food crisis emergency,” read the WB statement in part.
For her part, the World Bank Senior Agricultural Economist and Task Team Leader for the TFSRP, Emma Isinika Modamba said the programme focuses on resilience – building by increasing access to climate-smart technologies, early warning systems and drought resistance
“Increasing food systems resilience and strengthening Tanzania’s ability to adapt to the challenges of climate change requires a transformation in institutional systems and ways of working,” she said.
The FSRP supports participating countries in prioritising medium-term investments that can transform and strengthen the resilience of their food systems.
More so, it helps countries to re-build their productive capacity, improve management of their natural resources, strengthen food value chains and access to markets and improve policies, national and regional, to enhance the resilience of the sector.
Although the programme prioritises medium-term investments to enhance resilience, it can also provide a range of short-term support measures in case of a deteriorating food security situation.
The FSRP is central to the World Bank’s engagement in the region, which prioritises enhancing human development outcomes and increasing the resilience of populations in a region undergoing complex overlapping challenges.
