Mangulwa Earth Market

The Earth Market is in Mangulwa village located in Rombo District, one of the seven districts of the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. The area contains a large portion of Kilimanjaro National Park, one of the most important centres for biodiversity in the region.
The Market was started by Kilimanjaro Slow Food Convivium, hosted by Mviwata Kilimanjaro organization, in order to preserve the rich local biodiversity that is now disappearing due to the introduction of industrial fertilizers and commercial varieties (such as hybrid bananas, coffee, and maize).
There are almost 29 producers participating in the Mangulwa Earth Market, coming from villages within 5 km of the venue. Some of them belong to a group of small-scale farmers operating in the nearby districts of Same, Mwanga, Moshi, Rombo, and Hai, while other producers belong to Kitarasa Slow Food Community, located on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in the villages of Mangulwa, Ubaa, Mamsera, and Mashati. The main objective of this community is to revitalize and strengthen the production of kitarasa banana for better nutrition and income, preserve traditional banana varieties (like kimalindi, mchare, myengelele, kisukari, kinango).
The market shows a great biodiversity of fruit and vegetables, like pumpkins, climbing and aerial yams, black night shade, amaranths, matembele (sweet potato leaves), cassava leaves, coffee roasted and ground locally, herbal teas (from moringa, avocado, lemongrass, cinnamon (mdalasin) lemon leaves) avocadoes and farmed mushrooms.
The market involves local restaurants, promoting traditional dishes such as ngararimo (made with cooked vegetable varieties, local banana varieties, and oysternut.
The initiative it’s supported by the Italian Novara Slow Food Convivium.

Where:
The Earth Market is located about 90 km from Moshi town at Mangulwa Market, in Rombo district.
The Earth Market is allocated in a specific area of the Mangulwa community Market. Mangulwa village is easily accessible for farmers and the communities nearby, such as Mashati, Ubaa, and Useri villages.

When:
The Mangulwa or Rombo Earth Market take place every last Friday of the month.