Summary
The platform will provide a crucial opportunity to bring together stakeholders in the forestry sector to chart viable ways to utilize the resources productively without harming the environment.
LINDI: The government has officially launched a Business-to-Business (B2B) dialogue platform aimed at stimulating investment, enhancing the value of forest resources, and strengthening conservation efforts nationwide.
The platform, which seeks to further commercialize Tanzania’s forestry sector, has been launched as part of the lead-up to the International Day of Forests and the national tree-planting campaign, which will be observed on March 21, 2026.
In her remarks at the launch event, Lindi Regional Commissioner Ms. Zainab Telack stated that the platform will provide a crucial opportunity to bring together stakeholders in the forestry sector to chart viable ways to utilize these resources productively without harming the environment.
These stakeholders, she noted, include business leaders and government representatives.
She challenged key players in the sector to make effective use of the dialogue to ensure the professional development of the environmental and economic sectors across the country.
Ms. Telack also commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s ongoing efforts to promote environmental conservation and tree planting nationwide, describing her as a “leader of this agenda.”
She insisted the importance of the Lindi region in Tanzania’s forestry sector, highlighting its significant contribution to the production of forest products such as hardwood timber and mangroves.
“Mangroves are forests. If we cut down mangroves and only see bare flats, know that we are doomed,” she warned.
Furthermore, she reminded the public that forest conservation is not an option but a fundamental necessity for human well-being and the national economy.
“Without conservation, we have no water; without conservation, we have no life. When we speak of conservation, we are speaking of human survival and the future of coming generations,” she stressed.
Dr. Siima Salome Bakengesa from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, who moderated the dialogue, explained that the platform aims to connect business opportunities through B2B and Business-to-Government (B2G) systems to increase the forestry sector’s contribution to the economy.
“Here, we aim to create an enabling environment so that the forestry and beekeeping sectors can deliver greater value to citizens and the nation as a whole,” she said.
She noted that at least eight topics have been prepared to guide discussions on key issues, including carbon trading, technology use, policies and regulations, and ways to add value to forest products.
The launch of the nationwide dialogue precedes the official opening of the International Day of Forests celebrations and the National Tree Planting Campaign, scheduled for this afternoon.
The Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Emmanuel Nchimbi, who is expected to attend the national observance of this year’s International Day of Forests, will also lead the launch of the national tree-planting campaign.
This year’s celebrations are held under the theme “Forests are a Sustainable Economy, Let’s Conserve Them for National Development,” which aims to encourage public and stakeholder participation in forest conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.
The government continues to emphasize the importance of the tree-planting campaign as a means to restore natural vegetation, protect water sources, and strengthen the green economy.
Lindi has been recognized as one of the regions making a significant contribution to the country’s forest resources.
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