Food Rights Alliance

Category: News Release

  • FRA Partners with Ngora DLG in Fostering Household Nutrition Security

    Knowledge is power. But sometimes, this power needs a little propeller to start running, Skill!

    For the past two year FRA together with her member organisation War on Want NI with financial support from Rosa Luxemburg Foundation have been organising platforms for farmer communities and their lower local governments to meet and dialogue over the issues affecting their livelihood.

    The unprecedented platforms that have been held in the two districts of Amuria and Ngora, have continuously provided levelled space for community members to share, discuss and reflect on critical aspects of their lives particularly how to address the barriers standing between them and the social and economic status they each desire to realise. These dialogues have allowed these individuals to appreciate their responsibilities and the role they need to play to realise this transformation.

    In addition, the dialogues have provided an avenue for the duty bearers to provide guidance and support on how the community members can realise this transformation. Technical officials at the sub-county level in the fields of crop, fisheries and animal husbandry have steered discussions on how the community members can improve their agricultural productivity to realise food, nutrition and income security. The sub-county chiefs (SAS) and the community development officers have on the other hand diligently provided procedural guidance on how to address the various social challenges ranging from land conflicts to domestic violence.

    Following the two years of reflection, FRA and her partners realised a need to go an extra mile and build the capacity of these communities to address the challenges they are facing. It was against this background that on 19th and 22nd June, following the introduction of a new project phase in the project districts aimed at accelerating the momentum of building a vibrant exodus towards tapping women’s full potential in agriculture, food security and rural transformation;  the partners together with the Ngora DLG organised capacity building trainings of these community members on how to enhance their household nutrition security.

    Through these trainings, community members enhanced their knowledge on the nutrition benefits of the various foods particularly those indigenous to the Teso-sub region, the most nutritionally beneficial means of preparation and consumption. They were guided on the food categories required in a balanced diet and the roles of different foods in their bodies; the causes of mal nutrition; how to identify a mal nourished child and the transgenerational cycle of maternal mal nutrition.

    FRA through these trainings has taken a lead in the implementation of Food and Nutrition Security at household level with a strong view of strengthening community involvement, participation, revitalization of Growth Monitoring and Promotion and integration of various nutrition interventions in order to accelerate the achievement of the development goals of ending hunger and child.

    Matilda Nakawungu

  • Harnessing Budget 2018/19 for Improved Service Delivery, Will the Budget Deliver?

    Every year Civil Society Organizations under the umbrella of CSBAG convene to discuss the National Budget through the Post Budget Digest. CSBAG with its partners Food Rights Alliance, OXFAM, PELUM, FORD FOUNDATION, ISER, DGF, Trocaire, organized the Post Budget Digest at the UMA Conference Hall, Lugogo. The theme for this year’s Post Budget Digest was “Addressing inequality for improved service delivery: will the FY 2018/19 Budget deliver?” this would further the understanding of the priorities for the respective financial year and build citizens’ capacity and knowledge on the budget. The Post Budget Digest brought together, Policy makers, political leaders, CSOs, Development partners and Farmers. The event convened over 300 participants in their respective category.

    It was reported during the dialogue that parliament had considered at least 15 Civil Society Organizations budget proposals of the 76 were incorporated in the budget for the FY 2018/19, and CSOs engaged with three technical working groups and twelve parliamentary committees during the development of the budget for FY2108/19. The Post Budget Digest recognized the positive growth prospects of 5.8% in the FY2017/18 which is a good basis for take-off for the FY2018/19, with domestic revenue of UGX 19.4 Trillion the highest to ever be recorded. One of the key opportunities for the current budget is that the tax exemption on some domestic goods and services that can bolster the economy. Among the hurdles for the budget Julius Mukunda the Executive Director of CSBAG noted that Interest payment of UGX 2.5 Trillion is now competing social sector expenditure with health, education, agriculture among other national priorities, money borrowed from external funders is not spent on the critical social sectors.

    The government spending on social and high spending sectors in the country (Health, Education, and Agriculture) is still very low and inadequate; on the contrary government is spending money on recurrent components, and too much money is spent on consumption and not service delivery systems so as to support economic growth in Uganda. In the Key note address Mr Ashaba Hannington- Assistant Commissioner Projects and Public Investment Management Department- Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Developments recorded that the 5.8% economic growth was highest Uganda has ever registered since FY 2011/12. It was noted that the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development was to repair the tax policy to eliminate some of the VAT policy gaps and strengthen revenue administration and widen the revenue base is critical for growth of National GDP. However Interest payments in the budget are taking up majority of our budget, which will cause crowding out effect on the private sector yet the budget, check this consolidate loans at OnePayday maybe can help you to invest your financial is based on industrialization for job creation.

    From the discussions of the Macroeconomic overview of the FY2018/19 Budget Hon. Biraahwa Mukitare Adyeeri Stephen note that there is need to discuss the figures of the budget as they were presented to parliament through the budget speech. The issues of Social Protection raised a number of concerns in parliament as they were inadequately funded. To complement the development of the economy it was noted that climate was and has been the biggest driver for growth in the country. Through cities, densities are created which facilitate markets thus leading to industrialization in the country, but how true is this in the country? Are the masses/citizens being listened to in regard to the Budget? But on the contrary being listened to and taken serious are two different things if people want to push the agenda of the National Budget. Many of the citizens speak about and give their opinions about the budget, but who responds to their concerns? We need to look at the country’s targets so that planning and implementation is done towards the set targets, how far we are with the implementation of the VISION 2040, tracking of the VISION 2040 can only be tracked with the NRM manifesto which is a political tool.

    The input sector of the country has greatly failed the development of agriculture in the country. Majority of the small holder farmers at the grass root are struggling with agriculture simply because they lack access to agricultural inputs. With OWC NAADS, NARO among others, farmers will require knowing what to grow where, and this will require soil analysis, however the recruited extension workers do they have capacity to conduct the soil analysis.

    As one of the recommendations, government needs to balance investing in infrastructure & social sectors, they will be point in time where all roads have been completed thoroughly, but with no environment to invest in simply because they ignored to adequately invest in the social sectors of the country.

    By Frank Ntwatwa

  • Right to Food Partners Hold Learning Visit to Kenya On Farmer Managed Seed Systems

    Seed is the most fundamental resource for any farmer as it ensures continuity season after another and therefore key to ensuring improved livelihoods of smallholder farmers. It is the critical determinant of agricultural production potential. The possible impact of all other agricultural inputs depends on the quality of initial planting material. Therefore, sustained increase in agricultural productivity is largely dependent on access to good quality and constant supply distribution mechanism (AT Uganda, 2010).

    Overtime, the farmers’ self-reliance to provide own seed and other planting materials has continually been undermined by both natural (such as climate change) and manmade effects (war, fake or poor quality seed on the market and unfavorable legal and policy environments). Smallholder farmers have been most affected by seed insecurity yet they produce more than 85% of total food production for consumption and marketing in Uganda, resulting  to low productivity, increased vulnerability, food insecurity and poverty among farming communities.

    With support from Oxfam Novib, PELUM Uganda and other partners (ESAFF, FRA, COPACSO, and IFPRI) are currently implementing a 3 year project (2016 – 2018) on securing seed rights and land rights for the realization of the right to food in Northern Uganda. The project appreciates that farmers’ right to seed (and land) will enable women smallscale food producers to adapt better farming methods, increase production and thrive under volatile climatic conditions. Therefore, empowering Right to Food partners (R2F) in appreciating seed sovereignty and specific interventions that promote farmer managed seed systems is of the strategic importance to the success of the Right to Food project.

    It’s against this background that PELUM Uganda in collaboration with other R2F partners organized a learning and exposure visit on farmer managed seed systems. The activity that lasted 5 days revealed that both Kenyan and Ugandan farmers face similar challenges that require similar solutions or combined effort as east Africans.

    The national legal frameworks in both countries support corporate seed breeding, storage and exchange yet majority of the farmers are small scale; access to finance still challenges both; there is continued usage of chemicals; and hybrids and gradual disappearance of indigenous seeds are common observations in both countries.

    As policy influencers we have to continue capacitating farmers to advocate for more inclusion on decision making on matters that concern them, voting more money to the agricultural sector will not help but establishing functional systems will enable farmers to get access to finance check this redirected here, markets and know that they desperately need to influence policies in their favor.
    By Jude Ssebuliba

  • Agricultural Financing: The Key to East Africa's Economic Transformation

    For time immemorial agriculture has been said to be the backbone of our economy. It’s a song that has been sang by generations of Ugandans and East Africans as a whole. Isn’t it interesting though that even after generations of reciting this mantra we still haven’t come to put this appreciation into actual practice – investing our countries’ finances in the one economy we all know and believe to be the core of our national economies’ saving grace?

    In 2003, African heads of state met in Maputo the capital of Mozambique where they made a joint commitment to harness the potential of the agriculture sector to foster development in their countries. These commitments are popularly known as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) commitments. They were seven key commitments that were to be achieved within a period of 10 years. In a nutshell, the African Heads of State and Governments committed to foster a 6% annual agricultural GDP growth in their countries and the major avenue through which this was to be realised was through an allocation of at least 10% of their national budgets to the agricultural sector.

    Reviewing their performance on these commitments in 2014, the countries realised that progress had not been made as anticipated. However, the CAADP was still relevant and it was agreed that they re-commit to the goals they had set in 2003. The re-commitment was made this time with the strategic intent of Accelerating Agricultural Growth and Transformation in Africa. A declaration to this effect was assented to by the Heads of State in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. To monitor country performance on this re-commitment, the African Union (AU) formulated a score card using a Biennial Review (BR) reporting process that would be conducted every two years.  The first ever biennial review was held and the report approved by the African Heads of State and Government in their Ordinary Session on 30th January 2018 in Addis Ababa-Ethiopia.

    According to the review, all the East African Community member states except for Tanzania were found to be on track in the realisation of these commitments with a score above 3.94 – the set benchmark. It was the findings of this report and the strategic national budgeting timing that inspired the holding of the 3rd EAC People’s Agriculture Budget Summit on 30th -31st May 2018 in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Convened by farmers’ organisations, civil society organisations and other NSAs in close partnership with the EALA committee on Agriculture Tourism Natural Resources (ATNR), the summit was held under the theme “Promoting an Inclusive, People Centered EAC Budget Process: Incentives for Prudent Public and Private Investment in Agriculture”.

    This year’s summit was held with an aim of strengthening civic  participation in the national and EAC Budgeting Processes with specific reference to the agriculture investment plans under the Malabo commitments.

    The 3rd of its kind, the summit commended the EALA and EAC Secretariat for recognizing the importance of agriculture in poverty reduction and employment creation, as substantiated -during one summit session held in the EALA Parliament Chambers- by the Honourable Speaker the Right Honourable Martin Ngoga that agriculture provides employment for over 80% of people of the EAC particularly for the youth and women and has the capacity to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.

    The summit noted that contrary to the CAADP goal, the sector contribution to the regional GDP was consistently declining in performance and actual value and; EAC Partner States’ budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector and farmers had for over 5 years not exceeded 7 percent even with government’s commitment to the Malabo Declaration.

    These and a number of other observations and resolutions were made and presented to the EALA Committee on ATNR at the EALA Chambers at the Parliament of Kenya on 31st May. The summit bore succulent fruits for the region as all resolutions that were presented to the committee were fully adopted and the Committee committed to present these in the 5th EALA session to inform the EAC planning and administrative processes.

    Among the adopted ten resolutions was the institutionalising of the EAC People’s Agriculture Budget Summit within the EAC budget cycle which would entail including it in the EALA calendar, allocating a budget line, a focal person and provision for jointly holding the summit with NSAs. Another key resolution was for the EALA and the EAC to ensure progress on the commitment to allocate a minimum of required resources (1%) to research in agriculture especially on seeds, pesticides and other agricultural inputs which is a fundamental step towards improving agricultural production and productivity in the region.

    With the joining of forces between the people of East Africa and the EALA, there finally seems to be a light at the end of this proverbial tunnel. A new matra is born to this generation – a people centred agriculture budget shall revolutionise the backbone of our economy.  You have got to agree, now is the time we put all the promises and commitments off the papers and into action. Because the reality is, agriculture is the indispensable key to sustained food security, economic growth and social transformation for the East African region.

    P.S. It is not the usual tradition to have a postscript here but a number of players can not be left unrecognised for their contribution to the success of the 3rd EAC People’s Agriculture Budget Summit. Among these were: ActionAid International, Trust Africa Foundation, Oxfam, Food Rights Alliance, ESAFF, CSBAG, ANSAF and ofcourse the East African Legislative Assembly with special recognition of the devotion to the cause by the ATNR Committee Chairperson Hon. Mathias Kasamba.

    Catch up on more from this event on #EACAgricBudget

    By Matilda Nakawungu

  • Access to Land Justice Could Address Conflicts Around Natural Resources

    On 23rd and 24th April, 2018 Trocaire and Chris Burke, the Platform’s chairperson hosted the Northern Uganda Land Platform (NULP) in Lira. The meeting was meant to share and discuss the outcomes of the key stakeholder’s meeting held on 16th March, 2018 where key members met to take stock of the NULP and discuss ways forward and the structure and focus for future meetings.

    The meeting attracted over 80 stakeholders including representatives from the Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD), RDC of Lira Civil Society working on land issues, and cultural leaders from the different districts in the neighborhood. For the two days these met to discuss the current status of customary land across the region and explore different initiatives government and civil society institutions are implementing to address land issues around customary land ownership. This is due to the fact that the vast majority of land across northern Uganda still unregistered and management of customary land continues to be a key issue. The second day of the meeting was used to share a discussion on the realignment of the NULP and identify topics to be addressed in the future.

    For over 10 years, the NULP has a proven record in bringing together relevant parties to discuss issues constructively, exchange ideas, identify challenges and explore meaningful solutions related to land and land related resources. For FRA it was not only an opportunity to identify key issues from the local level to inform advocacy at the national level but also to inform other stakeholders working on land resource issues to adopt its integrated agenda in managing land and water resources. FRA submitted a proposal on water and land resource management to be one of the areas of focus in the following platform meeting.

    Among the key highlights from the RDC of Lira were issues of vast unregistered land that is undocumented in Lira, the increased land conflicts during the rainy season due to competition for land cultivation. The RDC emphasized protection of wetlands because of their great importance in providing water for animals, farming and household use. He established that, “For people to get out of poverty they need to attach value to land instead of holding for prestige. This also requires sustainable use of the available water resources and in the long run agriculture will be embraced.”

    As participants were wrapping up the meeting by consensus it was agreed that the next meeting should be held in Gulu district on 16th – 17th August 2018. A number of topics to select from for the next meeting and they agreed that the most selected topic will be announced by the Chairperson.

    By Lucky Brian Wamboka
    Food Rights Alliance

  • Youth At The Heart of East Africa Community Integration

    From 26th to 28th April, youth from across the East African region came together in Kigali, Rwanda in the fifth East Africa Regional Youth Summit. Organised by the East African Regional Youth Organization, the summit brought together over a hundred youth representatives to deliberate on how youth can play a role at the heart of East Africa Community integration.

    The meeting looked at four core concepts namely the missing link in youth leadership from the grassroots to the regional level; how youth economic inclusion ought to be fostered especially in employment and entrepreneurship; gender equity and inclusion in the youth development space and how the youth across borders can continue to work together beyond the summit.

    Deliberations emphasized that before the missing link in youth leadership can be addressed, there is need for youth to understand the meaning of leadership, and the kind of leadership they need. What could not be overemphasized was the importance of being leaders of integrity and unshakable values, carrying a passion for positive change and a clear vision and dream for where youth need to go and how to get there.

    The youth in this year’s summit agreed that the greatest challenge to youth leadership was social discrimination. In a society that greatly believes wisdom only comes with age, the voice and opinion of the youth -even in decisions whose main impact is on the youth- is often superseded by that of the elderly and middle aged.  Take for example, in a meeting discussing the plight of youth unemployment and the potential innovative technological remedies to this plight, a young woman or man who arrives on time and takes a seat at the front row for active participation is very likely to be moved to the back of the room two hours into the session to allow for an ‘elder’ arriving at that time to take up the front seat.  As such, in many engagements where fundamental youth impacting decisions are made, although present, youth do not have opportunity to participate but rather, are participated.

    Another example given was that of the discriminative opportunity availed to youth to participate in political leadership. For Uganda where the age limit for presidency is 18yrs, there is a measure that still keeps youth at a disadvantage of the shs20Million nomination fee. It is quite a well-placed youth that would afford to take on this endeavour.

    Youth noted that youth leadership should not only be restricted to the political context but also the social and economic spheres. Youth- who make up the majority of East Africa’s population- if provided with the right opportunities and support can and ought to lead in these spheres too.

    At the end of the summit, the youth made a pledge to set a pace for transformation starting with a small change in their respective countries because if change is to happen, it has to start with us.  The youth took the decision to commence the East African Youth Charter with the two countries of Uganda and Kenya that are already on board with the conviction that once the leadership of the other member countries witness its value, they too shall join in. The summit also committed to build awareness of the East African Youth Policy and to support the growth of the national youth councils picking a leaf from Uganda which happens to have the most independent and functional youth council.

    “The lion is the king of the jungle neither because of its size nor its speed, but because of its mentality. When it sees a hippopotamus, it does not see how big it is, it sees its lunch”. It is not so much about how much financial resources are available (or not available) to youth, but more about their mentality on how to use their abilities and their numbers to make the change they long to see in their community.

    By Matilda Nakawungu
    Food Rights Alliance

  • CONSULTANCY TO FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT OF FRA STRATEGIC PLAN – CALL FOR EOI

    FRA wishes to contract a qualified and experienced consultant to facilitate the development of a five year (2019 – 2023) FRA Strategic Plan.

    Interested and qualified candidates are requested to review the Terms of Reference below for more details and submit their applications with a Detailed Curriculum Vitae/ profile and a Proposal for implementing the assignment.

    Applications should carry a subject FRA Strategic Plan and be emailed to   frauganda@gmail.com not later than Friday May 18, 2018 at 4.00 P.M EAT.

    Terms of Reference

  • CSOs Present 2018/19 MPS Analysis to Agriculture Budget Committee

    Like it has been for some time now, on 17 th /04/2018, CSOs under their umbrella organization
    CSBAG, presented their concerns to the parliamentary committee of agriculture to try and
    assist the committee while interacting with the ministry of agriculture on next year’s budget so
    as to ensure that the ultimate budget responds to the aspirations of the people. Among the
    concerns presented, CSOs asked the committee to task the Ministry to ensure that;

    i. The Top Policy Management (TPM) of MAAIF resolves that starting the FY2018/19, all
    agencies’ plans and reports should go through the policy and planning unit of the Ministry and
    the unit should be strengthened to deliver on this function.

    ii. An addition of at least UGX 20bn is allocated to MAAIF for the control of pest, diseases and
    vectors: A case of the Fall Army Worm and the foot and mouth disease among.

    iii. Government expedites and provides UGX 16 billion for the recruitment of 1,968 extension
    workers to achieve the targeted 5,000 extension workers in the District Local Government. In
    addition at least UGX 10bn should be allocated as non-wage to support the newly recruited
    extension workers and at least UGX3bn to skill the recruited extension workers and safe guard
    the quality of services provided to farmers.

    iv. MAAIF operationalizes the strategy on improving the capacity for quality assurance,
    regulation, food and safety standards for outputs and products across crops, livestock and
    fisheries sub-sectors into specific costed interventions with targets and outcomes.

    As CSOs, we are raising these pertinent issues which are hindering the full utilisation and
    exploitation of the agriculture sector in Uganda. The agricultural sector has great potential to
    contribute to GDP growth, exports, employment and poverty reduction. However adequate
    investment in the sector continues to fall short of appreciating the severity of the sector’s
    importance nationally, regionally, continentally and globally.

    By Jude Ssebuliba

  • ACN and Parliament Justify Withdrawal of Anti-counterfeit Bill

    On Thursday March 15th, the Anti-Counterfeit Network (ACN) in partnership with the Parliament committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry & Cooperatives held a half day workshop  to inform stakeholders reasons as to why the Anti-counterfeit Bill was withdrawn from Parliament and to recommend a way forward  in line with the Comprehensive Bill Review report from ACN.

    Presenting ACN’s anti-counterfeit strategy, Mr.Kaweesa Richard highlighted that the strategy of combating counterfeits stood on five key pillars namely: legislation, regulation, enforcement, technologies and communication. Laying emphasis on communication, he noted that creating awareness of the dangers of counterfeit in the absence of the other four pillars builds public consciousness and in turn an instinct of self-preservation that builds vigilance of the public to avoid consumption and use of counterfeit products. He noted that communication reveals hidden health dangers that result into double and triple expenses of cheap counterfeit use.

    It was noted that counterfeit goods not only affect consumers but also manufacturers, traders and the government. Representatives from the Uganda Manufacturer’s Association noted that because counterfeits are made with cheaper and often dangerous raw materials, the products reach the market at a much lower price than the genuine products which undermines and compromises fair market competition.

    Additionally, substandard goods undermine the right to choice for consumers as the low prices often force the closure of genuine industries in the market.

    Sharing the reasons for the withdrawal of the Bill, among the key reasons highlighted included:

    • The withdrawn Bill called for the domestication of the East African Legislative Assembly Anti-counterfeit Law, a legislation that does not exist.
    • The bill is premised on the misconception that Uganda had no existing law to fight counterfeiting and yet there have been precedent laws including the law on Intellectual Property Infringement, the Trademarks Act 2010, Penal Code Act, and the Copyright and Neighboring Rights Act 2016 among others.
    • The bill contravened established legislative drafting guidelines of simplicity, clarity and consistency with existing laws. The bill provides no clarity in the memorandum’s definition of counterfeiting which states that this applies to the manufacturing, producing, packaging, repackaging, labeling and marketing and yet Section 1 of the same bill restricts and limits counterfeiting to only production.
    • The bill is a copy and paste of provisions in other existing laws particularly the Trademark and counterfeit laws.
    • The bill creates a new line minister – Minister of Trade to handle issues of infringement and yet previous laws that were never repealed placed this mandate in the office of the Minister of Justice.
    • The bill gave conflicting mandate to the police which monopolizes power of search, seizure and arrest conflicting with the established role of inspectors and enforces that were appointed by URSB under TMA.
    • The bill creates challenges with the storage of seized goods demanding that they be stored in warehouses and yet provides no provision of funding for their establishment/construction.
    • The bill mandates that imported counterfeit goods be returned to the country of origin which would foster international counterfeiting.
    • The bill also states that guilt of counterfeiting can only be proven if willful and on commercial sale. This implies that ignorance of the law or once one claims to have had no knowledge that a good was counterfeit proves one innocent of the crime. This clause also implies that counterfeit donations are not illegal since they are not for commercial sale.

    Making recommendations for future action, it was recommended that Parliament amend the existing Bill to carry clear definition of counterfeit, provide clarity on the regulatory bodies, their roles, and place heavier sanction and penalties in the Bill.

    Additionally, it was noted that Uganda needs to gather concrete data on the impact of counterfeits in the country particularly on the health of citizens such as number of deaths resulting from the use or consumption of counterfeit products. In this regard, ACN committed to put to line the authorities for the counterfeit Hepatitis B vaccine that was administered to many Ugandans putting their lives at stake. This, ACN deemed a crime against humanity.

    All Ugandans were called upon to desist from not only selling, but most importantly from buying counterfeited products. The fight against counterfeits is not optional, it’s mandatory for each and every citizen.

    By Matilda Nakawungu

    Food Rights Alliance

  • Rural Transformation through Promoting Adequate Extension Services and Agricultural Inputs in Uganda

    world-food-day-2013Today, Uganda joins the rest of world to celebrate World Food Day under the theme “Change the future of Migration; Invest in Food Security and Rural Development”. This year’s celebrations will be held in Kachwekano Zonal Agricultural and Development Institute in Kabale district organized by Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

    This year’s theme is a reflection of the increased phenomena of movement of people both from within the country (internal migration) as seen with rural-urban migration, internally displaced persons and from outside the country (international migrations) characterized by inflow of migrants fleeing their homes due to various reasons. With a total population of 35,035,700 people, the country in the past years has had to battle this growing influx of persons, exacting pressures and causing tensions on finite resources. Internally, the country predominantly remains a rural society with more than 28million residing in rural areas as of 2016.  Urban population of Uganda increased from 6 % in 1967 to 16.4 % in 2016 growing at an average annual rate of 2.08 %. On the other hand, Uganda has been ranked as one of the top refugee host countries with high refugee inflow of about 1.3 million refugees from neighboring countries of South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.

    Notwithstanding the devastating economic, political, social and cultural challenges that have amassed from this phenomenon over time, conditions that have facilitated this inflow and outflow of people within and outside the country is a crucial component in tackling these challenges. For Food Rights Alliance, central among the pull and push factors, specifically regarding rural-urban migration, is the aspect of food security and how availability, accessibility and utilization of food in the rural spaces can lessen people moving from the rural to urban areas. Therefore the understanding of the rural space can’t be divorced from agriculture which has constantly been singled out as the main stay of the economy and which if invested in correctly can have a higher multiplier effect in terms of job creation and food security.

    Although changing the future of migration remains a multipronged task, intensifying the investment of adequate extension services and agricultural inputs for rural communities is a step closer to making rural agriculture more attractive. The need for extension services and agricultural inputs in rural Uganda has remained a great demand as well as a challenge to farmers. The country is significantly investing in input distribution consuming a growing percentage of the total sector allocation from 36% in 15/16, 37% in 16/17 and 38% in 17/18 despite the absence of an input distribution system and recorded poor performance and low value from the total investment in inputs which the government through the relevant ministry needs to address.

    Regina Kayoyo