Category: News Release

The FRA ended the month of January on a high note – participating in the 9th Annual Hip Hop for Society. The event took place in Nsamba at the Sharing Youth Center, and was hosted by Breakdance Project Uganda, a Kampala-based organization that uses hip-hop as a means of building capacity and confidence in youth across the country. The event itself is a showcase of local talent, including many of the participants of the Project.

With the theme of “Collaboration,” FRA participated in the event by manning a booth, in order to engage youth and better understand how they see themselves in the agricultural sector. Secretariat staff represented the Alliance throughout the daylong event, spreading her mandate, while learning from the participating youth how they see the agricultural sector and what they think should be done.

In addition to the booth, Secretariat intern, Emily Kennedy gave a talk on the importance of youth in agriculture. She spoke mainly of the pressing issue of the disinterest of youth remaining in the sector, while also noting that young voices needed to be heard. She encouraged event participants to talk and share information and ideas.

This was an excellent opportunity to reach a wider audience and network with other organizations interested in the welfare of youth. FRA looks forward to future opportunities to work alongside Ugandan youth.

Emily Kennedy
Food Rights Alliance
Intern

On 22nd January, FRA held a Non State Actors (NSAs) consultative meeting to reorganize and strategize for the National Consultative meeting on the Agriculture Extension Policy that is to be held on Monday 25th January 2016.

The overall objective of the undertaking was to garner contributions and commitment from the NSAs to the development of the National Agriculture Extension Policy. Participants shared ideas to be incorporated in the policy, strategized and harmonized a NSA engagement strategy, and developed a NSA position that shall be used as a CSOs/NSAs negotiation tool in the policy process.

Since 2013, Uganda has been undertaking policy and institutional re-forms in AEAS directed at enhancing agricultural competitiveness through increased effectiveness and relevance of AEAS. Through these reforms, government proposed to integrate NAADS into the main public Extension System to form the Single Spine. This was approved by cabinet in the Financial Year 2013/2014. However, it has remained a non-funded priority since.

The implementation of the Single Spine is under way with Ministry of Agriculture setting specific targets to be met within a spell of three consecutive financial years. These among others included: establishment of the directorate of Agricultural Extension in the ministry of agriculture which has been effected, operationalizing the Directorate and recruitment of staff.

In order to make constructive contribution to this process, the Non State Actors working Group on Access to Agriculture Extension in Uganda under the leadership of Food Rights Alliance (FRA) has undertaken several activities that include among others commissioning three technical papers: i) Trends Analysis on the Evolution of the Extension System in Uganda, ii) An  Evaluation and Assessment of the Institutional, Policy and Legal frameworks fostering and anchored on Agricultural Extension in Uganda, and iii) A Contextual Analysis of the Global dynamics surrounding Agricultural Development and other dynamics that impact on Agricultural Extension. The Group has also held radio programmes, open debates and high level dialogues to discuss and influence the reforms process.

Matilda Nakawungu
FRA Secretariat

As Parliament starts scrutinizing the National Budget Framework Paper for the financial year 2016/2017, CSOs under their body umbrella Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), have raised concerns over the 2016/207 budget proposals, saying Government is not about to provide adequate funding for crucial sectors which greatly affect Ugandans.

CSOs also expressed concern over limited adherence to the Public Finance Management Act, 2015 provision of mainstreaming gender into the national budget through provision on the Certificate for Gender and Equality.

Julius Mukunda the Coordinator of CSBAG also singled out the non-compliance of Ministry of Finance to present the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update’ not earlier than four months before the elections as required by the Public Finance Management Act, 2015 .

“Elections are scheduled for February 18, 2016, if this report is not published, public resources are likely to be used to skew elections and it will be extremely difficult to ascertain how much public resources would have been misused in the process of financing elections,” the CSBAG Coordinator told an array of journalists.

Speaking during a joint press conference at CSBAG offices in Ntinda on Sunday 20th December 2015, Mr. Mukunda said despite the great need to transform Uganda’s agriculture, Government proposes to increase sector funding by Ush 151bn while there are still serious funding gaps such as the foot and mouth disease and Tse-tse-fly control which have a funding gap of Ushs 8bn and 8.5bn respectively.

“Most of the money for the agricultural sector has been allocated for the Operation Wealth Creation which is not legally established. They are giving out only five kilograms of seeds, what can these do for farmers? Ugandans are being hoodwinked.” said Agnes Kirabo the Executive Director, Food Right Alliance.

CSOs urged government to review the agricultural credit facilities to allow small scale farmers’ benefit, and also ensure the establishment of an agricultural bank. They further demanded that all contributions should be quantified and all investments for agricultural development be channeled directly through the agricultural sector rather than in various sectors like roads and water among others.

Source: CSBAG Budget News

From 15 to 18 December, Food Rights Alliance joined other Civil Society Organizations working in the field of trade in Nairobi, Kenya to take part in the 10^th WTO ministerial conference. This event was also the sixth round of the Doha Round of discussions, which began in 2001.

The main focus of the discussions FRA took part in was on agriculture and the key issues of developing countries related to trade. Over the course of the week, several activities were held by CSOs among which included a rally and procession against the expansion of the WTO and self-fulfilling agenda of the United States. An introduction session of SEATINI’s recently released Advocacy Guide for Civil Society on Investment Treaties was also held and a Trade and Development Symposium.

The Trade and Development Symposium was a four-day side event of the Conference, put on by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development. The Symposium included a series of sessions four times a day, on a variety of topics, from emerging governance to climate change to food security. Outside of the negotiations, this was the place to be for NGOs and CBOs.

Two sessions – one on Promoting Pro-Development Investment Agreements and Policies, and another on Synergizing Trade and Climate Change and Livelihoods in the EAC – featured SEATINI’s Country Director and FRA Vice Chairperson Ms. Jane Nalunga as a speaker.

Referring to the latter session, it highlighted some of the pending – and current – impacts of climate change on food security, naming the increasing frequency and intensity of instances of flooding and drought as one of the region’s greatest challenge.

Ms. Jane spoke specifically on the role that trade can play on the adaptation of climatic impacts, while reinforcing that issues concerning food security, or the environment on the whole, have not been addressed.

Emily Kennedy
FRA Intern

Successful advocates know that advocacy plans are not best loose guides, and that successful advocacy strategies are characterized not by their ability to proceed along a predefined track but by their ability to adopt to changing circumstances.

On November 24, SEATINI Uganda pre-launched an Advocacy Guide for Civil Society on Investment Treaties. The guide developed by SEATINI and Traidcraft is a tool aimed to equip civil society groups in Africa with the information and analysis they need to conduct effective advocacy work around investment agreements and their impact on sustainable development. The guide targets CSOs, including those working on trade, tax, economic policy, environmental issues and human rights.

Investment is a crucial factor in promoting economic development which is key to addressing poverty. This is because investments support structural transformation through facilitating industrial sector development, value addition and generating revenue to governments hence contributing towards sustainable development. To promote investments, governments have engaged in negotiations for Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITS), which are international law instruments i.e. treaties which are negotiated and agreed between two states or parties. The main objective of any BIT is to protect each party’s investments in another (host) country.

However, for BITS to be pro-development in Africa there is a need for the effective participation of key stakeholders including civil society, trade unions, farmer groups, the domestic private sector and academic institutions in the negotiation process. The BITs should be guided by an investment framework that is in line with a country’s /region’s development aspirations, does not constrict a county’s policy space to promote development, balances the rights of the investors and the rights of the host states and promotes, not undermines, the attainment of people’s Economic, Social and Cultural rights (ESCRs).

At the event, participants pre-tested the guide and provided recommendations on how the guide can be more relevant to all of civil society and effective for pro-development advocacy. The event also raised awareness among CSOs on the linkages between investment and development and drummed up interest among CSOs to work on investment in Uganda.

Matilda Nakawungu
FRA Secretariat

By Matilda Nakawungu

Over the past 25 years, substantial progress has been made towards the achievement of the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG1) which committed world leaders to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty. Since 1990, the number of hungry people in the world has decline by over 200 million. The global rates of underweight and stunting in children under the age of five have also reduced by 40%.

On November 25, The Hunger Project Uganda in partnership with World Vision Uganda, UCCO-SUN and Concern Worldwide held a National Dialogue, to disseminate and discuss finds in the 2015 Global Nutrition Report; Global Hunger Index and the Hunger and Nutrition Commitment Index; and their implications on Uganda’s Post 2015 Nutrition Agenda.

In a report presented at the event titled “What Works for Nutrition? Stories of success from Uganda”, it was noted that since the early 1990s, the nutrition landscape has been positively transformed in Uganda. This is greatly attributed to the government’s recognition that improving food and nutrition security can lead to socio-economic transformation.

Between 2000 and 2012, wasting of children under five years of age reduced by 3%, meeting the WHA wasting target. However, regional disparities exist, for example, around 1 in 2 children in the Karamoja sub-region are stunted compared with the Eastern sub-region which has already met the Uganda National Action Plan target of reducing stunting to 27%.

Presenting Key Messages and Calls for Action in the Global Nutrition Report 2015, Dr. Daisy Owomugasho the Country Director of The Hunger Project Uganda, noted that although a great deal of progress is being made in reducing malnutrition, it is still too slow and too uneven, while some forms of malnutrition, namely adult overweight and obesity, are actually increasing.

She emphasized that a virtuous circle of improved nutrition and sustainable development can be unleashed if action to address malnutrition in all its forms can be embedded within key development sectors.

Recognizing the critical role of nutrition in achieving sustainable development, there is need to strengthen national accountability on nutrition targets, ensure implementation of the Nutrition for Growth Compact adopted in 2013, invest in delivering better nutrition outcomes from existing funding and increase funding for nutrition action from the current 1% – 2% allocation government and donor funding.

At the end of the meeting, Participants developed a Civil Society statement with recommendations to Government and and Non State Actors on how to meet the Nutrition targets for Uganda as set by the World Health Organization.

By Matilda Nakawungu

When it comes to appropriation and monitoring of national funds, Civil Society Organisations can play a key role in ensuring government transparency and accountability. With dedicated effort, these players can help to inform decision-making processes with research and evidence.

Civil Society Organizations’ efforts towards evidence-based advocacy have in the past been hampered by their limited capacity to interpret and analyze the National Budget which is the primary implementation policy. This has greatly affected the quality of their engagement. To remedy this, CSO need to enhance their skills to effectively monitor and track budget absorption and performance, in order to constructively engage other stakeholders beyond the budget making process.

Realizing the potential impact and significance of civic initiatives in enhancing budget transparency and determining government expenditure priorities, Food Rights Alliance with funding from Trust Africa on 5^th and 6^th November conducted a Non-state actors training on Budget Tracking and Analysis with specific interest in agricultural extension and advisory services.

With this enhanced capacity to actively participate in the national budgeting process comes an increase in budget awareness and literacy. This will in turn be reflected in deeper engagement in the budget process and an improvement in the transparency of budgetary decisions. Participants left the training in position to constructively engage other stakeholders at all levels on issues of budget allocation, utilization, and improved accountability for the benefit of smallholder farmers in Uganda.

It is important to note that If CSOs and other Non-state actors can work together in the budgeting process, we can realise greater equity in budget policies. This joint effort will also strengthen democracy by fostering accountability, enhancing transparency and deepening participation and voice of citizens.

An inclusive and participatory budgeting process is important.  However, for transparency in this process, Government has to provide the public access to budget information and opportunities to participate in the budget process at the national level. Open budgets allow the public to be the judge of whether or not their government officials are good stewards of public funds and, because they reduce opportunities for wasteful or corrupt spending, transparent and accountable budgets can increase the resources available to fight poverty. Non-state actors need to understand the increasingly important role they can play in analyzing government budget policies and in advocating for more transparent and inclusive budget processes.

By Matilda Nakawungu

Agriculture has been and remains central to Uganda’s economic growth and poverty reduction. One cannot overemphasize the importance of the agricultural sector to the national economy, rural livelihoods, and the food security of Ugandans. Although the country is gifted with fertile soil and good climatic conditions, agricultural production and productivity has been declining.This has been a result of the inability of farmers to improve production and productivity without the guidance and support of the state.

On October 29th, farmers together with Civil Society Organizations launched the Uganda National Farmers’ Manifesto. This was a call to action directed at the Government of Uganda, political parties, development partners and non-state actors asking them to prioritize the needs of the agriculture sector.

The Farmers’ Manifesto is a collection of farmers’ views from village level in over 80 districts in Uganda mobilized under the auspices of Uganda National Coalition on Agriculture Governance. Farmers prioritized five constraining factors as the key national issues. These were: inadequate access to agricultural extension services and research, over reliance on rain-fed agriculture, inadequate and non-inclusive agricultural financing, limited access to market, and limited access to quality and quantity Agro-inputs.

Government and other stakeholders were asked to invest in and promote irrigation as an alternative source of water for agricultural production irrigation; implement an adequate and well-facilitated extension service delivery system and research; improve market access as well as revive cooperatives; strengthen the regulation of Agro-inputs to ensure quality; and increase national budget to the agriculture sector up to 10%.

“They have committed to 10 percent national budgetary allocations to agriculture, but they only use a fraction of that.” Ms. Irene Cheptoyeka farmer from Kapchorwa said while presenting the demands of the farmers.

Launching the Manifesto, the state minister for agriculture Hon. Bright Rwamirama agreed with the farmers that budgetary allocations to the agricultural sector have been relatively small.
“Our Government has ensured that we have the best research in the East African region. The problem is implementation,” he added on the issue of research.