Tanzania’s food vendors have pledged to support the government’s clean cooking campaign, as authorities seek to expand the use of cleaner fuels to protect public health and curb environmental degradation.
The commitment by mamalishe and babalishe—women and men who prepare and sell cooked food—could help extend the campaign to communities across the country, given their daily role in preparing meals for thousands of consumers.
The chairperson of the Tanzania Food Vendors Union (UMALITA), Ms Havijawa Omary, said vendors had a responsibility to promote clean cooking energy, particularly by demonstrating its benefits to customers and other members of the public.
She was speaking in Morogoro yesterday, October 15, 2026, during training organised by the Ministry of Energy for food vendors from various regions.
“Each of us needs to support efforts to promote clean cooking energy to protect public health, conserve the environment and ensure communities understand the benefits of using this energy,” Ms Omary said.
She said switching from firewood and charcoal to cleaner cooking alternatives would help reduce exposure to harmful smoke while easing pressure on forests caused by tree cutting for fuel.
For food vendors, the transition also places their businesses at the centre of efforts to change cooking practices, as they prepare meals daily for customers in markets, streets and other trading areas.
The training is part of the ministry’s broader efforts to raise awareness and encourage the adoption of clean cooking solutions in collaboration with various stakeholders.
The campaign is guided by the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy 2024–2034, which sets a target of ensuring that 80 per cent of Tanzanians use clean cooking energy by 2034.
Meeting the target will require sustained public awareness and the participation of different groups, including small food businesses that rely heavily on cooking in their daily operations.
The involvement of food vendors is expected to help spread information about the health and environmental benefits of clean cooking, although wider adoption will also depend on households and businesses being able to access and afford suitable alternatives to traditional fuels.