Uganda

Uganda is a landlocked and fertile country with many lakes and rivers. About 74% of the population live in rural areas.

The economy is heavily reliant on agriculture, making up close to one quarter of Uganda’s economy. Uganda’s agricultural sector presents significant opportunities to reduce poverty.

Challenges

Despite Uganda’s good soil and favourable weather, there are many barriers preventing farmers making the most of the country’s growing economy.

Extreme weather events such as floods, landslides, and prolonged drought are becoming more frequent.

Many households depend on subsistence farming and are extremely vulnerable to external shocks and stresses, including those brought on by climate change and conflict.¹

Agricultural yields are also held back by farmers’ small plots of land, low access to training and credit, poor soil management techniques, and lack of quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.

When farmers do have a surplus straight after harvesting, prices are at their lowest and they struggle to make money at local food markets. This creates a vicious circle in which farmers have little incentive to raise production levels or invest in new techniques.

Uganda is among the poorest and least food secure countries in the world, with 30% of people living in poverty and 56% of the population moderately food-insecure.²

Farm Africa in Uganda

Farm Africa has been operating in Uganda since 2003.

We help rural communities in Uganda find ways of earning a living that are suited to their natural environment, so they can improve their lives without damaging the natural resources they rely on.

We help a range of people, ranging from pastoralists in Karamoja to coffee growers in western Uganda, and horticulture and cereal producers in northern and eastern Uganda, build climate-resilient farming businesses by increasing their knowledge of good agricultural practices and boosting their access to farming inputs, finance and markets.

We also support rural communities to have more of a voice in shaping the policies that affect their lives.

Women and young people

Women and young people are disproportionately affected by poverty and climate change due to cultural dynamics that constrain their access to resources and opportunities.

Farm Africa supports female and young farmers in Uganda to gain access to knowledge and information on production; markets and finance; and productive resources such as land. We help them join cooperatives and participate more in decision-making in their households so they can have more say over the profits generated from their agricultural efforts.

We help give children the best start in life by supporting their parents to produce climate-resilient nutrient-dense foods and learn about the importance of dietary diversity to their families’ health.

An entrepreneurial approach

Farm Africa helps smallholder farmers in Uganda to build their entrepreneurial skills. We offer training in business planning, financial management, marketing and adding value to produce, whether that’s drying and packaging chillies or making cheese from goats’ milk.

By equipping farmers with business skills, we help ensure agricultural enterprises are run effectively and can weather shocks, so that farming families have the security of a reliable income.

With our support, farmers are building diversified livelihoods that provide stable sources of income, and developing foundational skills that enable them to participate in the market economy and become productive members of the society.