Food_security_in_Tanzania
The state of food security is a heavily scrutinized issue in the United Republic of Tanzania. Agriculture accounts for almost one-third of the nation's GDP (Gross Domestic Product).[1] It is an aspect of Tanzania that although obstructed by many internal and external factors, is continually worked on by outside forces and the nation itself.
There are several contributors to food security, including economic growth, agricultural policy, environmental changes, climate change and governance.[2] Furthermore, food security – or lack of it – can have lasting repercussions on a population.
On a global scale, Tanzania is lagging behind in terms of food security. According to the Proteus Global Food Security Index – data collected by the World Food Programme – Tanzania has an index of 0.564 on an index scale of 0.08 to 0.775, where the higher end of the spectrum signals food insecurity, Tanzania measures 0.564 and ranks 162nd out of 185 countries included.[3] Another report by the World Food Programme found that 7 out of 20 monitored Tanzanian markets reached crisis level in Q4-2019 according to ALPS (Alert for Price Spikes) calculation.[4] To further contextualize the parameters used to assess these Tanzanian markets and their deficiencies, the ALPS Indicator "monitors the extent to which local markets experience unusually high food prices by comparing the level of monthly food prices against their estimated seasonal trend and categorizing them as normal, stress, alert or crisis."[4]