Empowering Communities & Cultivating Innovation: TACCEI at the FAO World Food Forum 2026

Rome, Italy | October 12–16, 2026

From October 12th to 16th, 2026, we took center stage on the global platform at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Headquarters in Rome, Italy, during the annual World Food Forum. Representing the team and our board, our Co-Founder and Executive Director, Justine Robert Lukumay, participated in key sessions, shared our vision with international changemakers, and officially accepted a transformational recognition for our organization.

A Milestone Recognition: Seeding the Future Global Food System Challenge Award

A major highlight of our participation in Rome was accepting the prestigious Seeding the Future Foundation Award for our project: “Circular Dairy Byproduct Biofertilizer for Maasai Women-Led Gardens in Tanzania.”

Accompanying this award is a USD 25,000 grant, a crucial investment that accelerates our commitment to sustainable agriculture, resource efficiency, and community resilience in the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem.

This project sits at the core of our newly established TACCEI Innovation Hub, which serves as an incubator for nature-based solutions and rural community technology. The initiative addresses two critical local challenges at once:

  1. Waste Reduction & Circularity: It intercepts discarded dairy whey, a nutrient-rich byproduct that would otherwise go to waste, and repurposes it into high-value organic biofertilizer.

  2. Soil Health & Food Security: It provides organic biofertilizers to complement and strengthen our ongoing, long-term homestead gardens program, empowering Maasai women-led households to improve soil fertility, increase crop yields, and foster community food security

What This Award Means for Our Organization & Communities

For TACCEI, this recognition validates our conviction that local, traditional knowledge combined with circular innovation can drive global solutions for resilient food systems. Thanks to this funding, we have already made tangible progress on the ground:

  • Processing Facility Established: We have successfully set up a processing facility directly within our office premises to refine and produce the liquid whey-based biofertilizer safely and efficiently.

  • Demonstration & Trial Plots: We have created dedicated demonstration plots for rigorous biofertilizer trials and hands-on community learning programs. These interactive spaces serve as practical outdoor classrooms where local farmers and women’s group leaders observe trials, learn sustainable soil-management techniques, and exchange knowledge. Through these steps, the project directly strengthens local governance of food production and provides scalable models for climate-smart livestock-agriculture integration across Tanzanian rangelands.


Pitching at the People’s Choice Award & Youth Exhibitions

Beyond accepting the award, Justine actively engaged with international delegates, investors, and fellow young leaders throughout the forum:

  • People’s Choice Award Pitch: Justine pitched our circular biofertilizer innovation to global stakeholders, showing how grassroots solutions from Tanzania can significantly contribute to worldwide soil regeneration and climate adaptation.

  • IYRP Youth Exhibition: As part of the precursor activities leading toward the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), Justine joined the youth exhibition at the Atrium of the FAO Headquarters. There, he highlighted the vital role that young pastoralists and indigenous communities play in safeguarding fragile rangeland ecosystems while driving sustainable local economies.

Heartfelt Gratitude!

An achievement of this magnitude is made possible through shared vision and strong partnerships.

We extend our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to the Seeding the Future Foundation and Welthungerhilfe for recognizing our commitment, believing in community-led innovation, and generously inviting and facilitating our participation at the World Food Forum in Rome. Your support empowers us to continue transforming challenges into sustainable solutions for our environment and community.

As we look ahead, TACCEI remains dedicated to scaling our circular biofertilizer initiative, nurturing our demonstration gardens, and empowering Maasai women leaders at the heart of resilient local food systems.

Asante sana!