Kigoma – The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is partnering with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Upendo Honey, and U.S.-based social enterprise Burlap & Barrel to export Tanzanian-harvested honey to U.S. consumers. Soon, American consumers will be able to purchase this organic Tanzanian honey online and have it delivered to their homes.
At the heart of this initiative is the production of premium, certified organic honey—a product that can only be harvested from forests far from agriculture, livestock, and human settlements. This approach helps protect intact woodlands, such as Tanzania’s Miombo forests, while allowing communities to earn up to three times the average market price for their honey. The partnership transforms local beekeeping into a sustainable economic engine while protecting critical habitats for wildlife, including the chimpanzees that inspired Dr. Jane Goodall’s pioneering research in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park.
“This honey isn’t just delicious—it’s changing lives,” said Dr. Goodall. “Harvesting and selling this honey provides much-needed income for Tanzanian families while conserving critical ecosystems that support both people and wildlife.”
This initiative empowers Tanzanian honey producers by linking them to U.S. and global markets, generating new opportunities for growth and prosperity. At the same time, it inspires community-led efforts to protect and restore biodiversity in Western Tanzania. This partnership is made possible through the support of USAID Hope Through Action, a flagship USAID project that puts communities at the center of conservation, promoting sustainable development and a better future for people and nature. Currently, about 1,100 beekeepers within the USAID Hope Through Action project participate in the organic honey program, producing about 150 tons of honey annually.
“USAID’s support has been instrumental in making this vision a reality,” said Craig Hart, USAID/Tanzania Mission Director. “This collaboration between Burlap and Barrel, the Jane Goodall Institute, and Tanzania’s Updendo Honey demonstrates the power of linking local communities with global markets to achieve lasting benefits for biodiversity and livelihoods.”
In addition to boosting local incomes, five percent of the retail price from every jar sold will be contributed to JGI’s conservation work in Western Tanzania, ensuring a greener, sustainable, more hopeful future for people and wildlife alike.
For more information about this press release, please contact the USAID/Tanzania Development, Outreach and Communications Team at Dardocs@usaid.gov.
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