Climate-Smart Organic Cotton

The central corridor of Tanzania is exposed to severe impacts of progressing climate change. Recent years showed increasing irregularities and unpredictability in precipitation. Rural communities in this region are not prepared for these challenges, and there is a serious risk of migration, particularly of younger generations, being accelerated in light of the vulnerability of farming households to these agro-climatic challenges.

The first phase of Organic Cotton has shown viability of organic farming and potential of women entrepreneurship and created opportunity to focus on resilient farming with a strong focus on climate smartness.

This second phase is an initiative by 5 consortium partners, GiZ International, the ginning companies Alliance and BioSustain, TOAM and HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation which will directly benefit 25,000 organic cotton farmers and their communities, including 100 Village Savings and Lending groups (VSLA) and 50 Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives unions (AMCOs).

The goal and outcome of this project is to achive climate smart agricultural systems and collective action at village level create resilient and sustainable livelihoods in selected organic zones of Tanzania.