Farm for the Future Tanzania – for sustainability

At Vestre, we give 10% of our annual profit to global initiatives that support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this series, you can follow our 10% to see how it contributes to making the world a better place. We hope that this will inspire more companies to do the same.

One of the initiatives we support is Farm for the Future Tanzania (FFF). The goal of FFF is to help community development in the poor Iringa region of inland Tanzania, which suffers from unemployment, malnutrition, poor knowledge of farming, and low crop yields. How? They establish, grow, and increase knowledge of farming.

Untapped potential

Tanzania has over 4 million hectares of land and a climate that is well-suited to producing corn, which is a high-value crop in the country. There is enormous potential here which FFF wants to utilize more than is being done at present. FFF will create well-paid jobs, act as a driving force in developing local farming, and give young single mothers and local farmers the opportunity to become self-sufficient and financially independent. FFF runs a farm that is both a commercial company and a major training center, as well as a place where children from nurseries and primary schools in the area can develop an interest and knowledge about farming through visits as part of their schooling.

“The ambition is to do this so well that it will be useful for anyone who wants to establish a similar model elsewhere in Africa,” says Osmund Ueland, FFF project manager and chairman.




Increased production and employment

So far, FFF has established a large, 250-hectare farm. It is located at the center of the 16 villages in the Iringa region, where FFF conducts its training. Over 136 hectares of corn is grown here, and the ambition is to expand the farm with 22,000 macadamia trees – another valuable crop. Up to 200 locals work on the farm every year, an average of 50 over the whole year. They earn nearly three times the current average salary in Tanzania. At the same time, knowledge about farming is spread to the 16 villages in the local area, and together with Yara and Seed Co, FFF has provided training to 1,700 local farmers. As a result of this, 500 of them have increased their corn production from 33 pounds per hectare to 990 pounds during the three years of training.



Through this work, FFF also develops what they call role models—local farmers and young mothers who work with pride and can also pass on the knowledge they acquire to their villages. In this way, the knowledge will reach many more people than just those at the FFF farm or on courses—a highly sustainable model.

Supports the UN SDGs

Farm for the Future supports several of the UN’s SDGs, including goal 1 (End poverty) and goal 8 (Decent work and economic growth). You can follow the project and contribute to their vital work here.

  • Total contribution: NOK 735,000
  • Years as a partner: 3