1st of May 2025 marks a key milestone in Tanzania’s agricultural transformation journey: the Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO) has officially transitioned to AGRA
This important milestone was formally marked by the signing of a partnership agreement between Safia Boly, Executive Director of the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI), and Alice Ruhweza, President of AGRA—solidifying both entities shared commitment to agriculture transformation on the continent.
The collaboration between AATI and the Government of Tanzania began in June 2023 and led to the co-design of the Agricultural Transformation Master Plan (AMP) and the establishment of the ATO, which has played a critical role in coordinating AMP implementation.
To date, AATI has supported:
• Strategy development and sector diagnostics leading to the AMP
• Institutional strengthening through the establishment of the ATO
• Targeted technical assistance to support delivery structures
• The development of a robust Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) framework
The transition to AGRA marks an evolution in this engagement and ensures that the ATO benefits from AGRA’s institutional capabilities, policy expertise, and proven approaches to delivery to support the strong foundation established by the AATI.
Hosting the ATO within AGRA, an African-led institution committed to scaling agricultural innovations, will ensure long-term alignment with national priorities and enhanced delivery capability. The partnership with AGRA will facilitate the implementation of the AATI’s efforts in Tanzania and improve on resource mobilization by leveraging its strong relationships with governments in addition to the deep policy and political economics expertise. AGRA will also play a key role in facilitating the integration of ATO into existing initiatives and leveraging previous lessons learned around delivery mechanisms.
This transition reflects the readiness and maturity of institutions to carry forward this agenda. AATI remains proud to support the foundation laid in Tanzania and will continue to collaborate with partners to ensure impactful implementation and enduring results and supporting governments to deliver on national priorities.
