In the Photo: Delegates at the Circular Food System Business Forum, Dodoma
FANRPAN, its Tanzania node—the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF)—and Ardhi University co-convened the first Circular Food System Business Forum at the Morena Hotel in Dodoma. The one-day gathering brought together over 50 agripreneurs, bankers, researchers, and officials to explore practical ways to finance small businesses that recycle farm waste and save water. The Forum forms part of the Australian-funded Circular Food Systems in Africa (CFS) project, which helps farmers turn waste into new products while cutting costs and emissions.
Speakers from CRDB Bank, NMB Bank, the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB), and Equity for Tanzania (EFTA) outlined new loan ideas for women- and youth-led enterprises. By day’s end, delegates agreed to set up a national task force on circular food systems and to develop guarantee schemes that make credit more accessible for rural entrepreneurs.
The Forum showed that smart finance—backed by clear policy and strong research partnerships—can speed up Tanzania’s move to low-carbon, resource-efficient farming.