Blog Where innovation meets inclusion: Youth and women transforming Tanzania's agricultural sector
Tanzania’s agricultural future is being shaped not only in the fields, but in innovation hubs, data labs, and youth-led enterprises across the country. With a median age of just 18 and more than half of its working population engaged in agriculture, Tanzania stands at a rare demographic and economic crossroads.
Agriculture is more than a livelihood, it is a launchpad for transformation. Yet persistent challenges, from low productivity and limited financial access to climate vulnerability and fragmented markets, demand more than incremental change. They demand bold, inclusive innovation. Encouragingly, Tanzania’s startup ecosystem is responding: in 2024, AgriTech accounted for 16.79% of the country’s 1,041 mapped startups, reflecting a powerful shift toward digital solutions that are reimagining how food is grown, traded, and sustained. Prominence of AgriTech reflects its critical role in the national economy, with local startups advancing precision farming, agri-market access, climate-smart advisory services, and supply chain digitization.
Youth accounts 34.5% of the country’s population (61.7 million)
Agriculture employs 56.5% of the working population (24.7 million)
Tanzania’s food system is at a pivotal moment requiring innovative, youth-centric approaches that leverage technologies to drive sustainable agricultural transformation. It is within this context that the AgriTech4Tanzania Consultation Workshop powered by CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP) of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, in collaboration with Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Shamba Box, with representation from the Ministry of Agriculture and funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was a platform for discussing Tanzania’s agricultural transformation, one where innovation is not only technological, but also inclusive, participatory, and human-centered.
To support this transformation, the Tanzanian government has put in place policy frameworks that encourage technology adoption in agriculture. The Agricultural Sector Development Programme Phase II (ASDP II 2017-2028)iv provides a roadmap for modernizing the sector, enhancing productivity, improving infrastructure and market access, and strengthening public-private cooperation, including the adoption of new technologies. It emphasizes sustainable practices, commercialization, and innovations that can increase smallholder incomes and food security.
Spotlight: Innovators in action
The AgriTech4Tanzania Consultation Workshop recognized that innovation ecosystems must intentionally create pathways for youth and women to participate as innovators, leaders, and decision-makers not just beneficiaries. This vision was embodied by two innovators who participated in the panel conversation,
“Unlocking Tanzania’s Agritech Potential: Building Inclusive Value Chains through Innovation, Investment, and Collaboration.” Ms. Rose Funja, CEO and Founder of AltitudeX, and Mr. Geophrey Tenganamba, CEO of Mazao Hub, represented pathways for inclusive agritech transformation.
AltitudeX is a data-driven solutions company that uses drone and satellite technologies to provide farmers with valuable insights on how to maximize and better manage their lands. Ms. Funja highlighted the challenges startups face due to fragmented and siloed data systems, which lead to higher operational costs and hinder the development of effective solutions, and she recommended establishing a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), a centralized and inclusive platform for streamlining access to agricultural data that reduces duplication.
“When we think about agriculture and technology, we need to think of data as a public infrastructure. Women and youth currently incur a lot of cost in accessing data, yet if data was as a public good, that barrier would be removed. Data is the cornerstone for agritech" - Ms. Rose Funja, CEO and Founder of AltitudeX
Mazao Hub is an agritech platform that integrates soil intelligence, AI-driven insights and on-the-ground agronomy support to help farmers boost productivity and farm more sustainably by combining soil testing, tailored crop recommendations and digital farm management. Mr. Tenganamba noted that scaling challenges often stem from weak business models, not just ecosystem gaps. He encouraged startups to pair technological solutions with strong market orientation and revenue strategies and programs to be hands-on to bridge the gap between pilot and practice.
The above innovations reflect a deeper shift in Tanzania’s agritech landscape; from exclusion to inclusion by design and from fragmented efforts to ecosystem thinking.
Looking ahead
Outcomes from the workshop offer fresh insights about the agritech ecosystem in Tanzania and the opportunities to bridge the divide between cutting-edge research and on-the-ground entrepreneurial efforts, fostering relevant and scalable solutions tailored to the needs of Tanzania’s climate-resilient agricultural sector.
As AgriTech4Tanzania moves forward, it carries a clear ambition: to connect research, entrepreneurship, and investment into a continuous pathway from ideation to impact. Tanzania’s agricultural transformation will not be driven by isolated breakthroughs, but by a community of innovators committed to shared value, shared data, and shared prosperity—turning momentum into measurable impact for farmers, markets, and future generations.
If you are interested in collaborating on this initiative, contact us at [email protected]
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