UNDFF-YenKasa Africa Radio initiative in Tanzania

Tanzania – MVIWATA Fm 106.7 MHz

Program Title: Priorities of family farmers in Tanzania 

Production Language: Swahili

The 10 minutes program narrates the priorities of Family farmers in Tanzania from the different spaces converging into common issues. Family farmers in the session speak on how their priorities are far from realities through the different challenges in different forms such as availability of produce markets, the land where farmers speak of the and grabs and the effects they pose to family farmers.

Program Title Existing challenges and opportunities of family farming

Production Language: Swahili

This session discusses the existing opportunities embedded with Family farming, including the production of food to feed everyone from the family to the country at large, thus food security and sovereignty, the foundation for knowledge, skills and landraces transfer from generation to generation, provision of employment to the majority in the society, Protection of biodiversity, Up-keeping Peace and Tranquility. The session also discussed challenges that limit Family farming, including land availability, extension services, availability of agricultural inputs and produce markets.

Program Title: Scaling up agroecology practices for climate justice and food sovereignty. Experiences of the family farmers

Production Language: Swahili

The session discusses the discourse ‘Agroecology achieves Climate justice and Food Sovereignty’. Farmers narrate on their own experiences of what is and what entails Agroecology through the different practices they put in their farmers. The session narrates the existing relationship between Agroecology and Climate Justice and Food Sovereignty and how family farmers navigate through the 3. From the existing interrelationship, farmers mentioned the 3 as being inseparable friends. La Via Campesina, in this session, narrates the ongoing campaign of the LVC-SEAf region on Agroecology to achieve Climate justice through the activities that have been done so far and embedded belief of the region when addressing the climate and food crisis question.  The Farmers went further to call all farmers to work towards their right to seeds, their knowledge and skills amid the ongoing campaign of corporate agriculture and its packages.

Program Title: The decade of family farming, what are the policy issues from the family farmers?

Production Language: Swahili

This program starts with a Playback of Stephen’s voice on the history of the UN Decade of Family farming as a process. It results from the radio program recorded by MVIWATA Fm under Yenkasa. The session discusses the family farmers’ priorities in policies, where farmers speak on examples of how the policy processes and results sideline the family farmers. They view many policies as being formulated to serve the whims of the wealthy under-investment and how the existing Investment narrative dictates what farmers get in terms of quality and quantity in the different value chains of production, perpetuating the poverty cycle among the farmers. The speakers also view family farmers as potential investors, from which narratives will change if proper efforts are put in. The involvement of farmers in formulating and monitoring the implementation of the policies is mentioned in the program as the antidote to the current state of affairs.

Program Title: Family farming and food availability 

Production Language: Swahili

The session first narrates the meaning and basic foundations of Family Farming and family farmers. The session continues by telling the listener about the wider diversity of family farmers, from crop farmers, fisher folks, and pastoralists and the role of family farming in food production and feeding the communities and nations with varieties, ensuring the health of the consumers and biodiversity protection. The session also discusses the pertinent challenges facing Family farming, largely Climate change and its causes, including generally the fossil fuel-driven economy and specifically the change in land use and rapid urbanization reducing the vegetation cover. The session ends by extension advice on how family farmers can navigate during the changing climatic conditions and their adverse effects.