As Tanzanians demand individual land ownership to be a constitutional right, agricultural cooperatives seemingly feed the world despite the existing food insecurity in the world:

• TZS 4 billion from government said to be misused in farmers’ funds(October 12th) – The government has lost more than TZS 4 billion which was remitted to Mara Region for improving its agricultural sector during the last season.The Mara regional commissioner, Mr John Tupa, said it remitted about TZS 4.4 billion in the new system of agricultural inputs. The money was meant to improve farming and hence boost farmers’ harvests during the season.
  Mr Tupa said only Sh20 million was given to farmers while the rest was misappropriated by government officials in all districts of Mara Region.
• Experts Agree: Strengthened Land Use Planning in essential for Dryland Management (October 12th) – Participatory land use planning (PLUM) in Tanzanian drylands is an essential process in ensuring effective, sustainable and fair use of communal lands. And experts are agreeing that collecting best practices, enhancing information exchange and learning from the ground are focal strategies that will improve and strengthen natural resource use in Tanzanian drylands.
• Tanzania: People Ask for Protection of their Land Rights in New Constitution(October 11th) – Residents of Mafinga district, Iringa region have called for the new constitution to address the plight of citizens, which centres on land, minerals, education, and leadership.Other burning issues aired at the meeting on Monday include the new constitution addressing corruption, scrapping district commissioners posts, limited presidential powers and immunity, plight of those living with disabilities and laws to alleviate poverty.The opinion aired by both the residents of Boma ward here and Sadani area, located 40 km from Mafinga township, on Monday follows the constitutional review meeting held here.
• The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 (October 11th) – Economic growth seem to be inversely proportional to the pace of reduction of hunger and malnutrition and achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals. The UN FAO State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 report comes with more deliberations.
• Minister: Huge oil reserves likely(October 9th) – Tanzania will be among the oil producers in the world in the future following recent discoveries of huge reserves of natural gas in southeast, officials in the sector said on Friday.”We are already producing gas. Now we have to prepare for petroleum in the future,” said deputy minister for Energy and Minerals George Simbachawene. According to him, currently 18 international oil companies, both small and large-scale, are exploring oil and gas in the country, an exercise he termed as very expensive.

  The deputy minister’s remarks were echoed by the acting director of Exploration, Production and Technical Services with the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), Mr Elias Kilembe, who said oil might be found in a few years’ time.

• Tanzania, Malawi dispute for global court(October 9th) – It is now clear that the lake border disputes between Malawi and Tanzania will move to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Netherlands. According to Tanzania president Mr. Jakaya Kikwete the country is making final preparations to present its case at the International court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands if the two countries fail to reach a consensus regarding the boundary issue.In his monthly address to the nation the president explained the talks between the two countries over the boundary have been stalled following Malawi’s pullout to what its president referred to as resulting from “Tanzania launching a new map showing the boundary on the middle of the Lake”.

  Tanzania and Malawi have been holding talks since the wrangle over the Lake boundary disputes but the talks stalled following Tanzania’s Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Resettlement issuing a new Map showing the boundary demarcations at the middle of the lake.

• Social Accountability Stakeholders Meeting(October 9th) – On October 04, 2012 Policy Forum in collaboration with Forum Syd and MS TCDC organised a Social Accountability stakeholders meeting which took place at the Peacock Hotel in Dar es Salaam.The meeting brought together stakeholders like AcT, Policy Forum, PMO-RALG, REPOA,Twaweza Uwezo, Hakikazi Catalyst, PSAM and Foundation for Civil for Civil Society (FCS).

  Participants agreed that there are different ways to ensure social accountability and citizen’s empowerment as a means to reduce poverty for example the government of Tanzania has introduced PETS among many other initiatives in order to increase increase accountability and enhance citizen’s participation in development processes especially at the local government level where implementation is effected.

• Mine’s engagement with locals impresses ministers(October 8th) – African Barrick Gold(ABG) would fully execute the Villages Benefits Implementation Agreements (VBIA) signed between North Mara Gold Mine and local communities late in 2011, ABG’s Vice-President for Corporate Affairs, Mr Deo Mwanyika has said.The mining firm has already started spending millions of shillings to finance community projects as part of implementation of the agreement, a move that has impressed the Deputy Ministers for Minerals, Mr Stephen Masele and his counterpart in charge of Environment in the Vice-President’s Office Charles Kitwanga.
• Agricultural cooperatives are a key to feeding the world: World Food Day 2012 (October 8th) – “Agricultural cooperatives: key to feeding the world” is the 2012 World Food Day theme, in recognition of the role cooperatives play in improving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger.