Explore publications.

This research examines the critical role of supplier collaboration in advancing sustainable procurement practices within Temeke District’s Blue Economy a coastal zone in Tanzania where marine resources underpin livelihoods yet face escalating environmental pressures. Despite national policies promoting sustainable ocean governance, implementation gaps persist due to fragmented regulations, power imbalances, and the marginalization of informal suppliers. This study addresses an underexplored link: how collaborative relationships between buyers and suppliers enable or constrain sustainability outcomes in complex, resource-dependent contexts. Adopting a mixed methods approach, the research engaged diverse stakeholders across public, private, and community spheres. Findings reveal that transactional procurement paradigms dominate, stifling innovation and ecological stewardship. Trust deficits and restrictive contractual frameworks inhibit meaningful partnerships, while pervasive informality excludes suppliers with invaluable place-based knowledge. Nevertheless, intermediary actors, such as NGOs and community leaders emerge as vital bridges, fostering adaptive solutions through locally embedded dialogue. The study identifies key barriers, including conflicting sectoral policies, financial exclusion, and gendered occupational segregation, which limit inclusive participation. Conversely, enablers like co-designed "Sustainability Compacts" and intergenerational knowledge exchange offer pathways for reform. Recommendations prioritize integrated governance, supplier empowerment funds, and gender-responsive platforms to reconfigure collaboration as a catalyst for equity and resilience. By centering Temeke’s socio-ecological realities, this research contributes a framework for transforming procurement from a compliance exercise into a regenerative force. It argues that effective Blue Economy transitions require redistributing agency to frontline suppliers not as contractors, but as custodians of coastal futures.