Find out how Humundi (formerly SOS Faim) has been working in Uganda since 2022 to promote agro-ecological transition.
Our work in
The context
Uganda has one of the highest population growth rates in the world. The vast majority of its population lives in rural areas, and the agricultural sector is under great pressure to feed the country’s population without depleting natural resources. Uganda’s economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which is the main source of employment. The sector employs around 70% of the population (and 80% of women), mainly in rural areas.
Although agriculture is the means of subsistence for the majority of Ugandan households, poverty still limits the population’s access to nutritious food and resources: over 34% of the rural population live below the poverty line and 87% of the working poor are engaged in agricultural activities. The rate of malnutrition is also very high: more than a third of young children suffer from stunted growth. Uganda’s population is expected to reach 100 million by 2050, so a food system capable of providing adequate, healthy food for the population is essential.
Agriculture is a lever for reducing poverty and accelerating economic growth. This is why the sector must be a priority in national development plans and policies. Although the government appears to be open to dialogue with advocacy stakeholders, Uganda’s agricultural and economic public policies are mainly aimed at supporting intensive, export-oriented agriculture rather than small-scale producers and agriculture.
Support for small-scale farming and the agro-ecological transition is still very limited in the country. These dynamics, which refocus agriculture on the use of local resources for the benefit of the population living in the surrounding area, and by virtue of their multifunctional approach, seem to be much more capable of meeting these many challenges than an industrial approach.
It is a relevant response that aims to preserve natural resources and biodiversity and reduce the negative externalities of intensive agriculture (pollution, soil desertification, resource depletion, etc.). Agroecology can generate secure, local income at all levels of the food system, while enhancing human and social dynamics.
Humundi’s work in Uganda
Humundi (formerly SOS Faim) has been working in Uganda since 2022 to promote and strengthen the agro-ecological transition, among other things.
Through our partnerships with PELUM (Participatory Ecological Land Use Management) and ESAFF (Eastern and Southern Africa Small-scale Farmers’ Forum), we aim to strengthen the participation of agroecology stakeholders in political and decision-making processes, as well as raising awareness among consumers and the authorities of the role and benefits of agroecology in terms of food sovereignty and access to healthy food in Uganda. Our objectives with our partner AFSA are similar, but on a pan-African scale.
We are also working with our partner KRC to strengthen a number of savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) to give farmers better access to the finance they need to develop their activities and those of their cooperatives.
Finally, in partnership with the NGO WOUGNET, we are facilitating women’s participation in the various levels of sustainable food systems by improving access for groups of women farmers to information and communication technologies (ICTs), as tools for sharing information in order to address their problems collectively.
Key figures in Uganda – 2023
5
Partners
5
Local NGOs
97 261
Beneficiaries
296 K€
Invested
Our countries
of action
We work in nine countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America to promote sustainable food systems. Working closely with local partners, we provide support tailored to each context to generate a positive impact.
