A food basket approach to mainstreaming opportunity crops in Tanzania

This policy brief proposes a “food basket” approach to mainstreaming opportunity crops in Tanzania: building on the food combinations households already eat and the crops farmers already grow together, rather than promoting these crops in isolation. Drawing on Tanzania household survey data (NPS 2020/21) and FAOSTAT indicators, it shows that crops such as pigeon pea, cowpea, amaranth and taro already have footholds in maize-based farming systems and household diets, but are held back by low productivity, consumer and market constraints, and weak value chains. The brief makes recommendations for researchers, policymakers, agribusinesses and investors. These include breeding varieties for how people actually farm and eat, using school and institutional food purchasing to test demand, building reliable supply through familiar market channels, and matching finance to each stage from research to commercial operation. It was produced under the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS).