Tanzania charts path to resilient, rules-based food systems

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is moving beyond short-term food security measures to build long-term, resilient food systems, emphasising infrastructure, regulation, and digital market solutions as key pillars of national and regional resilience.

This was highlighted on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, by Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) Director General, Ms Irene Madeje Mlola.

She spoke during the Gulfood World Economy Summit, part of Gulfood 2026, one of the world’s leading platforms for food trade and policy engagement.

Speaking in the high-level session titled “Agile by Design: Nexus Between Food Security and Infrastructure for a Connected World,” Ms Mlola noted that Tanzania is prioritising system design that ensures efficient, safe, and transparent movement of food from producers to markets.

“Agriculture remains central to Tanzania’s economy, contributing approximately 26 percent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), accounting for 30 percent of foreign exchange earnings, and employing nearly two-thirds of the population,” she said.

“With food self-sufficiency exceeding 120 percent, our focus is on structured, rules-based systems that deliver stability, reliability, and growth,” added Ms Mlola.

Furthermore, the authority’s statement, made available to The Citizen on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, said Tanzania’s engagement at Gulfood is being showcased through the Tanzania Pavilion, coordinated by COPRA, which brings together key public institutions and private sector actors.

The Pavilion demonstrates progress in structured agricultural markets, supported by modern storage facilities, warehouse receipt systems, regulated digital trading platforms, and logistics corridors.

These measures enhance price transparency, traceability, and market discipline, while boosting investor confidence and facilitating trade in cereals, pulses, cocoa, horticulture, coffee, cashew nuts, and other commodities.

As the national regulator for cereals and other produce, COPRA oversees market participation, licensing, quality compliance, and trading standards.

“This regulatory framework has enabled Tanzania to move from fragmented trading practices towards data-driven, rules-based markets that support domestic food security and regional and international trade,” reads part of a statement.

Tanzania’s presence at Gulfood also underscores the country’s strategic role in regional food supply chains, leveraging its geographic location, expanding transport networks, and growing storage and processing capacity to serve markets across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.

Through these initiatives, Tanzania is positioning itself as a credible and reliable partner in global food trade, combining strong production capacity with effective regulation, modern infrastructure, and long-term policy vision.