EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP)

The Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP) is an initiative conceived by the EAC Secretariat and Government of partner states in partnership with the European Union (EU) and implemented by various agencies, including the International Trade Centre, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Solidaridad.

To certification and beyond is a market access  project, funded by the EU, to promote sustainable coffee, horticulture and tea sectors in  Tanzania. The project, which will be implemented over the next 42 months, is targeting approximately 21,000 smallholder farmers in Zanzibar (Horticulture), Mbeya, Njombe regions (Horticulture and Tea) and Ruvuma and Songwe regions (Coffee) in Tanzania.

GOAL & OBJECTIVES

To address issues surrounding effective use  of certification schemes and voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) to improve and  drive market opportunities for Tanzanian  “branded” sustainable tea, coffee and horticulture products. 

The project’s sustainability objectives include poverty reduction, sustainable use of natural  resources and protection of ecosystems  through providing access to local and international export markets, addressing potential  hurdles to development and reducing the costs of sustainability compliance. The project will support the development of a coherent program of public policy and private initiatives, at both the standard-setting and implementation levels. 

• Support and complement the government’s efforts of ensuring high productivity  and access to viable and sustainable markets  of agricultural products 
• Work with agricultural sector actors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals  (SDGs), such as sustainable production and consumption, biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction and gender equity among others
• Promote Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS)  
• Sensitize smallholder farmers on sustainable production of high quality agricultural commodities, food safety, benefits of VSS mechanisms and eventual integration of sustainability practices.

OUTCOMES 

• Increased knowledge and compliance on Voluntary Sustainability Standards among producers and value chain actors
• Cost effective and sustainable models of transitioning to compliance for actors along  the value chain, particularly for smallholder farmers 
• Improved access of market niche opportunities for Tanzanian ‘branded’ sustainable tea, coffee and horticulture products.