From timber rush to avocado rush? Insights and areas for research on restoration and development initiatives in Southern Highlands, Tanzania

Abstract

The fast-emerging avocado farming raises concerns for restoration and development initiatives in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. This comes after years of growing timber demands (dubbed ‘timber rush’) that has stimulated private forest plantations and contributed to national forest restoration pledges and local livelihoods. However, the economic viability of private forest plantations has sharply declined, giving rise to an 'avocado rush'. Little attention has been given to the implications of the avocado rush, which could signal a possible end to the timber rush. Through field observations, interviews with Njombe district officials, and a review of literature, this article shows that avocado farming has been gradually replacing tree plantations in the district through two main ways: (i) the uprooting and replacement of young trees with avocado trees, and (ii) the establishment of avocado farms on most newly cleared land. The high global market value, the high price of avocado fruits, and relatively shorter harvest time (3–4 years, compared to 10–20 years for timber) are driving the avocado rush. We argue that the rapidly increasing acquisition of land for avocado, which has implications for both landscape restoration and rural development targets in Tanzania, requires critical research and scholarly attention. We conclude by proposing the following research areas: avocado farming vis-à-vis food (in)security, ecological sustainability, land ownership, global food systems and the avocado value chain and implications to national pledges on forest and landscape restoration.