Tanzania’s rapidly growing population and expanding economy are placing greater pressure on the country’s food system.
With around 70 million people in 2025 and an annual demographic growth rate of about 2.8 to 2.9 percent demand for safe, high-quality food is increasing year by year. In 2024, approximately 900,000 people faced acute food insecurity.
At the same time, agriculture is central to Tanzania’s export economy, with roughly 80 percent of export earnings coming from products such as coffee, cotton, sisal, tea, cashew nuts, tobacco, pyrethrum and cloves. Post-harvest losses remain one of the most persistent constraints on agricultural productivity.
Estimates indicate that around 50 percent of fresh fruits and vegetables spoil before reaching the market, while approximately 25 percent of rice and maize are lost because of pests, inadequate storage facilities and limited processing infrastructure. These losses affect food availability, reduce farmer incomes and limit the competitiveness of Tanzanian products in regional and international markets.
Food irradiation offers a modern and scientifically validated way to address these challenges. The method uses controlled doses of gamma rays, X-rays or high-energy electron beams to destroy pathogens, inhibit spoilage and prevent insects from developing or reproducing. When applied at approved dose levels, irradiation does not make food radioactive, does not introduce chemical residues and preserves taste and nutritional value.
Its safety and effectiveness are recognised by international bodies, including the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which sets global standards for irradiated foods, and the International Plant Protection Convention, which provides protocols for irradiation as a phytosanitary measure. These standards support international trade and are already used in regions such as the Americas and Asia for exporting fruits, vegetables and other perishable products.
For Tanzania, the relevance of irradiation is both practical and strategic. Reducing post-harvest losses could significantly improve food security, especially in a country where agricultural production is sensitive to high levels of spoilage.
Irradiation can extend the shelf life of spices, fruits, vegetables and dry ingredients, supporting domestic distribution from rural to urban centres. It also strengthens Tanzania’s export potential by helping producers comply with the increasingly strict quarantine and sanitary requirements of foreign markets.
As the country seeks to develop value-added processing industries, the wider adoption of irradiation can help diversify exports and improve the reliability of supply chains.
Tanzania is now taking concrete steps to bring this technology into regular use. The Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC) is constructing the country’s first multipurpose irradiation centre in Dar es Salaam. The facility will use cobalt-60 gamma sources to process a variety of goods, including spices, grains, fruits, vegetables and selected medical items.
Its establishment marks a transition from small-scale laboratory testing to commercial-level application. Once operational, the centre will play an important role in initiatives aimed at improving food safety, reducing losses and supporting agro-industrialisation. It will also help build national competencies in radiation processing, equipment operation and quality management.
International cooperation is an essential element in this development. Through the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme, Tanzania receives training, expert support and opportunities to learn from countries with long-standing experience in food irradiation.
The signing of the Country Programme Framework for 2023–2027 further identifies food and agriculture, nuclear safety, industry and knowledge development as priority areas for Tanzania’s collaboration with the IAEA. Global experience complements this institutional support. In recent years, Russia’s Rosatom has expanded its network of multipurpose irradiation centres and has assisted in establishing such facilities in Uzbekistan, Bolivia and Bangladesh.
These projects illustrate how irradiation infrastructure can be integrated into national food systems and how operator training, regulatory processes and technical workflows are organised. Such examples provide practical reference points for Tanzania as it develops its own centre.
The creation of the irradiation facility in Dar es Salaam represents a significant step in Tanzania’s efforts to modernise its agricultural sector. By reducing losses, improving product quality and enabling compliance with international phytosanitary standards, irradiation can enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of agricultural value chains.
The approach also supports broader development goals by strengthening scientific capacities, creating skilled employment and contributing to long-term food security. As Tanzania works to build a resilient and economically vibrant food system, irradiation stands out as a technology with the potential to deliver clear and measurable benefits.
