Laying the Foundation for Smart Planning for Sustainable Agriculture in Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT)

In 2009, Tanzania embarked on a national Agriculture First – or Kilimo Kwanza – strategy to meet the needs of a rapidly growing, and more aspirational, population. The Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor (SAGCOT) of Tanzania  – a public-private partnership launched in 2010 with the aim of boosting agriculture and integrating small-scale farmers into value chains in the fertile corridor known as the food basket of Tanzania – is a key component of this national plan. Spanning about one-third of the country, and containing some of its most fertile lands, extensive forests and reliable water resources, it is an area on the cusp of major agricultural growth, facing huge opportunities and critical risks.

In this presentation, Felix Kamau, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Agriculture Strategy Director for Africa Region will present on two timely initiatives that TNC is leading in the SAGCOT region. The Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP) for SAGCOT, a two-year collaboration, from January 2015 to December 2016, aimed at generating practical decision support tools to help policy-makers and investors avoid risks and guide sustainable agriculture intensification throughout the corridor. The second initiative, the Water, Land and Ecosystem (WLE) program, supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural and focused on laying the foundations for effective landscape planning in the Ihemi Cluster area of SAGCOT.

 Speaker Bio

Felix Kamau is TNC Agriculture Strategy Director for Africa Region. He is responsible for driving TNC’s sustainable Agriculture intensification strategy for Africa region, working closely with the TNC Global Agriculture team and TNC Africa Conservation Director. He joined TNC in July 2013. Prior to joining TNC, Felix worked for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in Kenya as the Head of Agricultural Marketing and Agribusiness Development Services Division for 4 years. Prior to that he worked in the same Ministry for 15 years in Agricultural Extension Services Division in various capacities rising to the position of Chief of National Agricultural Extension Services Division, serving in that capacity for 7 years. He has a Masters of Science degree in Agricultural Studies from the University of Queensland (Australia); and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree from the University of Nairobi (Kenya). Felix is also trained in Project Development and Management, Strategic leadership, public policy formulation and implementation, and Strategic Negotiation skills. Felix has wide international exposure in agriculture and rural development from his work and study tours he has undertaken in several countries.