Highlights from the Tanzania Workshop and Fieldwork

The workshop held at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Tanzania was the second of the three planned project meetings to share critical experiences from researchers and practitioners that can inform policy to improve food systems in refugee-hosting contexts.

Date: 26th – 30th May 2025

Place: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.

Workshop participants

Project Team, government officials, and representatives from organisations working with or around refugee-hosting communities in Tanzania. Additionally, the workshop was also graced by the SUA Administration team, namely Dr Mabebe Ntumva, Head of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Community Development at SUA, and the Director for Postgraduate, Research, Technology Transfer and Consultancy, Prof. Japhet Kashaigili, who represented the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics, Research and Consultancy, Professor Maulid Mwatawala, were in attendance at the opening session of the workshop.

Summary of discussions

Preliminary findings indicate fundamental differences in the refugee policies of Uganda and Tanzania. Nevertheless, the research highlights the critical role of host-refugee interactions as a crucial factor in ensuring food security. Fundamentally, providing food without a corresponding energy source for cooking places a critical strain on the environment by overharvesting trees for firewood and charcoal.  There is a severe shortage of agricultural extension workers, which affects farmers’ quality information services. Access to farming resources and capital is highly gendered. The project team has also observed malnutrition and food insecurity in a “bread basket” region of Tanzania. Our research will provide more insights into this paradox.

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