This working paper accompanies ‘Village Voices’, a film which covers the lives of people in
five remote regions of Tanzania over five years (2004-08). The paper examines specifically
why high economic growth during the period of Tanzania's poverty reduction strategy
(MKUKUTA 2005-2010) has not translated into the expected reduction in poverty, as there
has been a rise in one million people living in poverty over the period 2001 to 2007. The
official response has been a call for broad-based growth by stepping up efforts to green
revolutionise agriculture through an Agriculture First (Kilimo Kwanza) strategy.