On 28th August 2024, Floresta Tanzania, in collaboration with the World Vegetable Center under the
Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) project, conducted a Farmer Field Day in Embukoi Village, Siha
District, a community predominantly inhabited by the Maasai people. The event aimed to raise awareness among
local farmers, strengthen the vegetable seed system, improve access to seeds and seedlings, and promote the
consumption of nutritious food through diet diversification. It was attended by 116 community members, including
cultural leaders (“waiganan”) and local government officials, with 60% of participants being youth.
The Farmer Field Day included training sessions facilitated by Agricultural Officers from Floresta Tanzania.
These sessions covered various topics such as agronomical practices, seed and seedling production, seed
selection, organic pesticide use, and nutrition. The training was both theoretical and practical, featuring hands-on
activities at the Farmer Field School farm of the Emusoi VSLA group, which is managed by Floresta Tanzania
and served as the event's host. This initiative is expected to enhance the accessibility of nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, and spices in the community, increase awareness of seedling production and the importance of using quality seeds, and ultimately contribute to better nutrition and food security.
Floresta Tanzania plans to expand its efforts by conducting 29 more Farmer Field Days across all districts in the
Kilimanjaro Region under the AID-I project. This expansion aims to further empower communities by
strengthening the vegetable seed system to ease access and availability of seeds and seedlings, improving the
consumption of nutritious food through diet diversification, enhancing the accessibility of nutrient-rich vegetables,
fruits, and spices, and strengthening the value chain of ginger through increased production and market linkage.
The AID-I Project is part of the U.S. Government’s global hunger and poverty initiative, Feed the Future (FtF).
This initiative represents a collaborative effort between the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and the Department of State (DOS) to address diplomacy and development challenges. The AID-I
Activity aims to provide crucial support to ensure that millions of smallholder farmers in Tanzania, Malawi, and
Zambia have access to the information and innovations they need. By utilizing market-based approaches, the
initiative seeks to help these farmers maintain or increase food production in the face of climate change and
mitigate the impacts of rising food, fuel, and fertilizer prices resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.