Posted on 21 June 2012

Tanzania anticipates making important strides on the pathway towards a Green Economy through green economy initiatives such as the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT).

SACGOT was a major talking point for Tanzania during Rio +20 talks currently going on in Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil. During a side event about investing in Natural Capital organized jointly by WWF and the Africa Development Bank, Tanzania’s Minister of State, Vice President’s Office (Environment) Dr. Terezya Huvisa noted that Tanzania stood to benefit immensely by greening its economy through initiatives such as SAGCOT.

“The 2011 SAGCOT investment blueprint envisions profitable farming systems services, businesses supported by infrastructure, value chains and human capital development. Innovative financing will include a public- private sector and multi-donor catalytic investment fund leveraged over $2bn,” noted Dr. Huvisa.

The minister further noted that the SACGOT region offered immense potential for Tanzania which continues to be bogged down by high poverty levels and vulnerability to climate change.

SAGCOT’s Green Growth Strategy includes a number of key components that will safeguard key ecosystem services and natural capital for agriculture and rural communities (e.g., irrigation water supplies) and support climate-smart agriculture to capture carbon in soils and vegetation, improve yields and resilience to droughts and floods as well as protect water quality and biodiversity.

The strategy furthermore involves agricultural investments for food and nutrition security with opportunities for export earnings; using REDD+ to help finance transitions to low-emission energy systems; and designating wildlife corridors in conjunction to maintain biodiversity, improve tourism revenues and minimize human-wildlife conflict.

As the Rio +20 talks continue, Dr. Huviza noted that the Green growth concept will give hope to sustainable climate-smart agriculture and social development to be mainstreamed into development initiatives. The SAGCOT blueprint for Tanzania is a laboratory for testing and implementing this concept and will provide valuable lessons for the agriculture sector in Africa.

Speaking during the same event, WWF’s Director General, Jim Leape noted that “it is extremely disappointing to see that the international process on sustainable development culminating in the RIO+20 Conference, is failing in terms of achieving firm commitments in regard to preserving our natural capital. At the same time, it is extremely encouraging to see that individual countries, the champions of this world, are stepping up to the challenge and take crucial actions were international negotiations are failing.”


John Kabubu