For decades, the backbone of the Tanzanian economy—its smallholder farmers—has functioned under a structural disadvantage. While the fertile soils of regions like Mbeya, Arusha, and Tanga produce world-class coffee, cashews, and spices, the producers themselves have often seen their livelihoods eroded by a predatory layer of middle-men. These intermediaries, acting as gatekeepers between the mud-caked…