Seed Change Tanzania is a non-profit organisation working with smallholder farmers in Kigoma, Tanzania. Seed Change’s objectives are threefold:
1. Improve productivity of smallholder oil palm farmers in Kigoma
2. Promote sustainable agricultural practices
3. Lift farmers out of poverty by introducing improved, high-yielding trees and farmer education to the region.

Seed Change aims to invigorate the Kigoma oil palm market, strengthen the palm oil value chain, and catalyse agricultural business throughout Kigoma.

We see the major impediment to development of the palm oil supply chain (and livelihood development of oil palm farmers) as the low-yielding local variety of trees, lack of farmer education, and lack of modern palm oil industry. By focusing on improving tree yields paired with farmer extension services and RSPO certification - the palm oil supply chain can be revolutionized in Tanzania to support sustainable practices while improving the livelihoods of oil palm farmers.

The four outcome KPIs of our project are:
1. Increase incomes and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers. Farmers currently earn an average of $275 from their less than 1 hectare farms. We want to work with farmers through training and provision of high-yielding seedlings to increase incomes while promoting zero-land use change.
2. Increase oil palm yields in the Kigoma region through better farming practices and introduction of tenera seedlings, this will increase farmer yields by 1,145%.
3. Support the development of strong farmer associations. We currently work with 40 farmer associations and want to continue to support these groups and add other groups to our network.
4. Assist associations to ensure they are using sustainable practices. We currently train 827 farmers on sustainable practices inline with RSPO Principles & Criteria in preparation for future RSPO certification.

• Looking for Project Partners

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  Supply Chain Partner

  Seeking Additional Funding and used for

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  RSPO Credits

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  Selling Certified Volume as RSPO Credit?

  No

  Interested to be Contacted by Potential Buyer?

  No

• Smallholder Story / Quote

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  Mwajuma Hemedi – Smallholder Oil Palm Grower
  After completing lessons on HCVs she stated, “My farming has changed. I can see the palm oil trees are growing very well. I am
  now a tree friend – I do not burn vegetation; I protect the forest. I am now a water friend – I do not dig or plant around our
  water sources.” “HCVs mean life – by having a good environment the people will be happy, disease will be reduced, and we will
  have enough water. Managing HCVs will be the way to maintain our forests and for the land to be regenerated. We will
  experience land that is more fertile and harvests will be good. We will enjoy the land of our childhood.”

  Lessons Learnt

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  Relevant Tools used for Project Implementation

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  Other Information as Deemed Relevant by the Organisation

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  Kigoma Palm Oil Value Chain Assessment, for others to understand the state of the value chain (very undeveloped) and how
  much potential there is (lots!)

  https://www.seedchangetanzania.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Seed-Change-Palm-Oil-Value-Chain-Report.pdf

  
  Link to videos on our work including:

  a short documentary showcasing our work and specifically our sustainability mission:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnUjxgDNqnY

  videos profiling our smallholder farmers: http://www.seedchangetanzania.org/videos

   

   

• Project Details

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  Name of The Smallholder Group Supported

  Seed Change Tanzania

  Type of Smallholders Supported by This Project

  Independent

  Country & Location of Implementation

  Tanzania Kigoma

  Project Period

  01/09/2013 - Continuing

  Status of The Project

  Completed Project

  Project Certification Status

  Not Certified

  Co-funded by RSSF

  Yes

  Average Smallholder Yield (in FFB/ha/year)

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  At Project Start: 200-300 L/ha
  
  At Project End: 3,000-4,000 L/ha (forecast)

  Current Partner Organisations

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  Implementing

  Cadasta Foundation:

  Develops and promotes the use of simple digital tools and technology to help partners efficiently document, analyze, store, and share critical land and resource rights information. For Seed Change, they have been an implementing partner in our livelihoods survey collection and GPS mapping of farmers in our training program.
  Contact: www.cadasta.org

  
  Upendo Honey:

  Supports Seed Change financially across both our seedling and farmer extension programs and additionally provides in-kind logistical and technical support as an implementing partner.
  Contact: www.upendoagri.com

  
  Proforest/HCV Network/SHARP:

  Supported Seed Change in our pilot of their Simplified HCV Approach for Smallholders and completed land-risk assessment
  maps of our farmers’ land and have given us technical guidance and support on understanding HCV Awareness, methods for training, and ways to assess smallholder HCVs.

  
  Funding

  Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)’s Local Investment Climate Project:

  Provided financial support for Seed Change operations.
  Contact: www.lic.or.tz

  
  Agricultural Improvement Fund:

  An Australian based fundraising group who are financial supporters of our farmer extension, general operations and overheads.
  Contact: www.seedchangetanzania.org/the-agricultural-improvementfund

  
  Australian Direct Aid Program (AusDAP):

  The Australian Government provided funding for our shamba darasa, farmer resource centre, and farmer training material preparation.

   

  
  Other

  Tanzania Prime Minister’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government Kigoma:

  The regional government authority supports our farmer extension work with human capital; working with Bwana Shambas – government extension officers who help contribute at lessons.