Zanzibar! The word conjures up in the mind of many, an exotic island paradise. But there is another side, not seen by the half a million tourists who visit every year. Widespread malnutrition – the ‘hidden hunger’ – and a real hunger, for more and healthier food, and more employment opportunities, from farmers and consumers alike.

There are now 1.8 million Zanzibarians, and with the population growing fast, there will be more than two million in only a decade or so. Today, however, half are below the ‘basic needs’ poverty line, half of all children suffer vitamin A deficiency, a third of all children are so malnourished that they are classified as ‘stunted’, and 97% of adults do not eat the World Health Organization recommended three portions or 240 grams of vegetables per day, including almost all the pregnant and breast­feeding women. In addition, even with all the (often low­paid) jobs in the booming tourism sector, a third of all youth are unemployed, and that figure is rising. This is the reality, behind hotel walls and away from the beaches…

But a revolution is underway…quietly – but quickly! A few years ago, some three quarters of the food was imported, for locals and tourists alike. But this is changing. Over only a few growing seasons, farmers are growing many more vegetables, new crops, better managed, and with yields – and profits – increasing. And the AIDI­Zanzibar project that effectively started only in March 2023, has already added hugely to this momentum, as these stories testify…

The AIDI Zanzibar project in numbers – in only its first year…

• 500 smallholder farms that have had their soil tested.
• 2,209 smallholder farmers and family members trained on good agricultural practices and nutrition.
• 3,500 who received seed kits.
• 40 schools that received seed kits and training to establish school gardens.
• 17,500 household members who benefitted from more diversified and nutrient-rich vegetables.
• 91 seed producers trained on the production of quality vegetable seeds.
• 857 commercial vegetable producers trained on good agricultural practices and agribusiness, and linked to market and financial services.
• 139 vegetable seedling producers trained on the production of quality vegetables, herbs and spice seedlings.
• 8 million people reached with agricultural and nutritional messages through TV and radio (974,281 women, 915,492 men).

This project is part of the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID­I) Rapid Delivery Hub, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is implemented by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), with key support from the revolutionary government of Zanzibar (RGoZ) and local partners Zanzibar Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI), Zanzibar broadcasting corporation (ZBC), Zanzibar Economic Empowerment Authority (ZEEA), Practical Permaculture Institute of Zanzibar (PPIZ), and Milele Zanzibar Foundation.

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