DAR ES SALAAM, March 23 -- WE recently marked World Forestry Day, a moment that calls not just for reflection, but for reckoning.

It reminds us that forests are not a distant environmental concern, they are living infrastructure that sustains water systems, supports livelihoods, stabilises the climate and underpins national development.

In Tanzania, where rural economies are deeply tied to natural resources, the meaning is immediate: How we use forests today determines whether development remains sustainable tomorrow.

This message has been reinforced at the highest levels of leadership. During her 2025 campaign, President Samia Suluhu Hassan made a direct appeal to tobacco farmers in Tabora: Stop cutting trees for tobacco curing.

Whil...