FP179

Agriculture is essential to Tanzania’s economy and the livelihoods of its people, accounting for 27% of its gross domestic product (GDP) and 67% of jobs. However the agriculture sector is particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events. Climate change and changing temperature patterns have already contributed to a decline in agricultural productivity and to the share of the sector’s contribution to national economic growth – losses that are being exacerbated by weather-related risks. With agriculture playing an integral role in the lives of the country’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations – 80-90% of agricultural land is held by smallholder farmers and 98% of economically active rural Tanzanian women are engaged in farming – the adverse effects of climate change will disproportionately harm those groups and hamper the country’s sustainable development.

This programme will strengthen resilience of Tanzania’s agriculture sector by facilitating access to agriculture climate adaptation technologies. This will be achieved by establishing a lending and de-risking facility that will make these technologies affordable to local farmers and agricultural enterprises, accompanied by technical assistance and support from government authorities.  The project will also strengthen awareness of climate threats and risk-reduction processes among government, industry actors and the financial sector.