Zanzibar's clove trees, introduced by Arab traders in the 19th century, made the island group one of the world's wealthiest territories per capita during the colonial era. Today, Zanzibar produces approximately 3,000 to 5,000 tonnes of cloves annually, representing over 75 percent of Tanzania's clove output. Indonesia remains the world's dominant clove producer, but Zanzibar cloves are prized for their high eugenol content and distinctive flavour, commanding premium prices in European specialty spice markets and in the Indonesian cigarette industry, which uses cloves to make kretek cigarettes. Cloves account for approximately 15 percent of Tanzania's agricultural export earnings.
Diversification and Certification
Beyond cloves, Zanzibar grows black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, and nutmeg in diverse smallholder spice gardens that attract the island's lucrative spice tour tourism industry. The Zanzibar Organic Agriculture Movement has certified over 4,000 smallholder spice farmers for organic production, allowing premium pricing with European buyers. Direct trade relationships with European specialty food importers, bypassing commodity aggregators, are increasing farmer income significantly. Spice traders and buyers can access Zanzibar origin contacts on intra-africa.com.
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