Abstract:
Promoting the industrial sector has been among the key development strategies in most developing countries including Tanzania. The government recognizes co-operatives as key development partners in the current move towards a middle income and semi-industrialized status. This calls for sorting out clearly how co-operatives can engage in the industrialization process. This paper aims to share experiences on practical and theoretical strategies regarding how best co-operatives can engage directly and indirectly in the industrialization process in Tanzania. The authors adapted a systematic literature review approach in this paper. Content analysis was used to analyse collected qualitative data from reviewed works. Secondary data were also collected from various studies including Government reports to cement discussions. With notable examples, the discussion has centred itself on various strategies that co-operatives can, directly and indirectly, engage in the industrialization process. The paper also describes the mechanisms that may be used to finance the industrialization process through co-operative and possible constraints to such investments. It can be concluded that there are direct and indirect options that co-operatives may apply to enter into the industrialization process and in financing the process
