Tanzania VP Urges Global Unity and Private Sector Inclusion in Fight Against Hunger

Brasilia, Brazil | 23 May 2025 – The Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Philip Mpango, has urged nations to work together in the fight against hunger and poverty and to accelerate rural development, emphasizing that these are cross-border crises that require unified international efforts.

Dr. Mpango delivered the call during his keynote address at a high-level panel on “The International Alliance Against Hunger and Public Policies for Food Security” held during the 2nd Brazil-Africa Conference on Food Security, Combatting Hunger, and Rural Development. The event took place at the prestigious Itamaraty Palace, the headquarters of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brasília.

He highlighted the devastating impact of poverty and hunger, which disproportionately affects Africa despite the continent’s wealth of natural resources. Dr. Mpango praised Brazilian President H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for spearheading global efforts to build alliances that bridge developed and developing nations in tackling these issues.

The Vice President noted that Brazil is well-positioned to serve as a key partner for African countries in agriculture and rural development due to its use of advanced technology and its significant progress across multiple sectors.

Dr. Mpango emphasized the importance of predictable, inclusive policies that encourage private sector participation in agriculture—including smallholder farmers and investors—by ensuring production security and access to markets. He further stressed the need for policies that empower women, who are major players in African agriculture, through land ownership rights and the elimination of discriminatory cultural practices.

Crucially, Dr. Mpango called on top leaders, especially at the highest levels, to actively listen to and act on recommendations from private sector stakeholders, including farmers, to develop agriculture as a viable business. He cited Tanzania’s use of Trade and Investment Councils—from the district level up to the national level—as a model platform to address private sector concerns and improve policy frameworks.

The Vice President outlined several critical factors that must be addressed to combat hunger and poverty. These include political conflicts and wars, climate change, lack of essential infrastructure for agriculture such as irrigation, storage facilities, and ICT tools that provide vital information on seeds, markets, and crop products.

He also pointed to other pressing challenges: inadequate funding for the agricultural sector, the continued export of raw agricultural products with little value addition, insufficient investment in research and development, lack of key agricultural data, limited technological advancement in production systems, and tax and trade policies that discourage agricultural growth and commercialization.

The Brazil-Africa Dialogue is now in its second round, with the inaugural session held in 2010. The initiative is organized by the Government of Brazil through its Ministry of Agriculture, in partnership with the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA).

These discussions bring together top government officials, African Ministers of Agriculture, international organizations such as FAO, IFAD, WFP, and the World Bank, along with technical experts and development partners. The 2025 edition offers a strategic opportunity to explore collaboration under the Global Alliance against Poverty and Hunger, launched during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024. It also serves as a platform to showcase direct achievements in agriculture, food and nutrition security, technical cooperation, and global trade.

Vice President Mpango was accompanied at the conference by Hon. Dennis Londo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation; Dr. Hussein Omar, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for Crop Development and Food Security; and H.E. Dr. John Simbachawene, Tanzania’s Ambassador to Brazil.