In February 2009, SNV and Fair Trade Labelling Organisation signed an agreement on strengthening the sesame sub-sector in Lindi and Mtwara.  This is FLO’s first initiative on linking sesame farmers into Fair Trade Labeling certification.  

To begin with, SNV organised a field visit to Mtwara and Lindi in March 2009. Participants included a potential oilseed investor David Knopp of Wood Family Trust, Jennifer Mbuvi of FLO, and SNV advisors.   The field visit resulted in the identification and engagement of a local capacity builder, analysis of investment opportunities, assessment of producer groups, and selection of prioritised issues for a stakeholder workshop to be held late 2009.  To address sector issues of agronomic skill development and lack of market information on the benefits of Fair Trade Labelling certification, FLO and SNV will produce a Kiswahili publication, with support from the IFAD SCAPEMA partnership on knowledge sharing for distribution late in 2009.