210: empowering farmers in Tanzania

In the midst of a global food crisis, you would be forgiven for concluding that African farmers are battling against the grain (pardon the pun) in their efforts to feed themselves and their communities. But today's linked article from the BBC suggests otherwise. It details efforts in Tanzania, supported by the UN and others, to empower farmers to negotiate better prices in the marketplace - thereby keeping their farms going, feeding their own families and many others in the process. Alongside providing loans to farmers to help them buy high-yield seeds, equipment and fertilizer, initiatives such as the Agricultural Marketing Systems Development Programme are helping farmers get access to information about commodity prices, so they know when to sell their crop and for how much. In Tanzania, this includes 'market spies' texting information to farmers on their mobile phones! Another great example of new technologies and new strategies changing lives for the better. (Photo from BBC online.)