The Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University in collaboration with FAO Uganda conducted a five-day training on digital soil mapping. The training organized under the framework of the project – Capacity Development on Sustainable Soil Management for Africa, and held at Makerere University was officially opened by Mr. Anping Ye, Director, Office of South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division, FAOon 13th June 2022. The opening ceremony was graced by Dr. Querido Antonio, the Food and Agriculture Organisation Country Representative for Uganda; Dr Lui Zhongwei, Senior Programme Officer, Resource Mobilization and Private Sector Partnerships Division, FAO Rome; and Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze, Deputy Principal, CAES.
The two-year project (July 2020-June 2022) financed by the China International Centre for Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE), Ministry of Commerce, People’s Republic of China aims to develop capacity in sustainable soil management through South-South cooperation, within the framework of Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN) and the International Code of Conduct for Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers (the Fertilizer Code), with special focus on balanced fertilization. The project is part of FAO’s efforts to strengthen capacity of public and private institutions and communities to sustainably manage natural resources, restore degraded land and protect vital ecosystems. Partners on the project include Makerere University; FAO Uganda; the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries; the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning – Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Busiitema University; China Aid; Global Soil Partnership; National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute – Serere, and the National Agricultural Research Laboratories – Kawanda.
Objectives of the training
The training aimed to provide an easy to follow and step-by-step course for mapping soil properties.
It also aimed to present methodologies that can be used in soil data cleaning and processing
Providing a user-friendly and introductory course to the R language
Participants included experts from government and research institutions – Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Universities as well as researchers and students with a background in soil, agricultural and environmental sciences.
Course content included; Soil property mapping, soil data cleaning and processing, use of R language in soil mapping and data visualization and delivery.
The training programme was coordinated by Dr. Patrick Musinguzi from the Department of Agricultural Production, CAES in collaboration with officials from FAO Uganda.
Remarks by Mr. Anping Ye, Director, Office of South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division, FAO
Speaking at opening ceremony, Mr Anping Ye, Director, Office of South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division, FAO underscored the importance of the training noting that sustainable soil management contributes directly and indirectly to the achievement of at least 10 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Unsustainable practices lead to the degradation of soil properties and decline in soil productivity. In most developing countries including some in Africa, the decline in productivity is happening at an alarming rate due to inappropriate soil management. The training will largely contribute to building capacity for national soil database and soil monitoring for the key stakeholders in Uganda,” he noted.
Representing the Principal of CAES, the Deputy Principal, Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze expressed gratitude to all the partners who supported the training programme. In a special way, he appreciated FAO for always partnering with Makerere University in the areas of research, training and outreach. CAES and FAO continue to work on a number of projects in livestock development, crop production, water management, climate change and food nutrition. In her remarks, the Principal noted that the project had made significant contributions towards soil management and fertilizer application leading to increased productivity and food security.
“In Uganda, proper fertilizer application remains a major challenge. The farmers often get challenged when using fertilizers especially if the fields are highly variable in soil fertility. With the advancement of digital technologies, farmers are now in position to know the status of their soils and the appropriate fertilizers,” she noted. She said the training programme was timely given the rapid technological transformation and that it would largely enhance the capacity of researchers and agricultural extension experts to effectively guide farmers on the most appropriate fertilizers for different fields.
Commenting on the relevance of the training, Prof. Bamutaze emphasized the importance of soil in national development and the need to understand soil variations for proper fertilizer application. He called for the development of a national soil database to inform public policy. Prof. Bamutaze informed participants that components of the training course would be integrated in the curriculum.
The training ended on 17th June 2022 with more than 30 participants awarded certificates of participation. Representing the Principal of CAES at the closing ceremony, Prof. Fred Kabi emphasized the importance of theoretical grounding in all fields. He reiterated the significance of soil mapping in guiding soil amendments. He appreciated FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) for facilitating the training.
The training was officially closed by the First Secretary, Embassy of China in Uganda, Mr Chenxu Wang.
Announcement of JRS Biodiversity Foundation Funding for the upcoming 3rd International Conference on Geographical Science for Resilient Communities, Ecosystems and Livelihoods under Global Environmental Change International (GORILLA)
Makerere University and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) are organizing the 3rd International Conference on Geographical Science for Resilient Communities, Ecosystems and Livelihoods under Global Environmental Change (GORILLA). The conference is scheduled to take place at Hotel Africana from 4th to 6th December 2024 and will be officially opened by the Minister of State for Environment, Hon. Beatrice Atim Anywar. The GORILLA conference (https://gorilla.mak.ac.ug) which is anchored in the United Nations Global Development Agenda 2030 will be organized around 12 subthemes. Approximately 350 abstracts have been submitted and between 300-400 participants from 50 countries are expected to participate.
We are delighted to share the excellent news that the JRS Biodiversity Foundation has awarded a grant to support the participation of promising young researchers and early career scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in the GORILLA Conference. This funding will enable implementation of pre-conference training activities at Makerere University, tailored to improving capabilities and competencies of emerging researchers and early career scientists from SSA. These planned pre-GORILLA conference training activities are detailed on the conference website (https://gorilla.mak.ac.ug/pre-conference/pre-conference-activities-2024) and applications are welcome from qualifying researchers and emerging scholars. Additionally, the JRS grant will support researchers and early career scientists whose abstracts have been accepted for presentation to participate in the GORILLA conference. Preference will be given to those working on biodiversity and related fields within SSA.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the JRS Biodiversity Foundation for their generous support of the 3rd International GORILLA Conference, enabling the young researchers and emerging scholars participation. The JRS Biodiversity Foundation is committed to empowering people and institutions to share and apply biodiversity knowledge across Sub Saharan Africa. Through their funding, the JRS Biodiversity Foundation strives to enhance access to and use of biodiversity information in SSA, promoting biodiversity conservation as a cornerstone of societal well-being and ecosystem health.
Makerere University in collaboration with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) are organizing the “3rd International Conference on Geographical Science for Resilient Communities, Ecosystems and Livelihoods under Global Environmental Change” scheduled to take place at Hotel Africana from 4th to 6th December 2024. Makerere University in collaboration with other partners is organizing a series of exciting Pre-Conference training events, which will be conducted at Campus between November and December. Interested and qualifying students and staff are encouraged to apply for these exciting opportunities.
These include:
Training on Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) for Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation: 1st to 3rd December 2024
Training on Advanced Data Analysis and Scholarly Writing: 25th – 30th November 2024
Hackathon on Earth Observation Data for Accelerated Actions towards Social and Ecological Resilience: 29th November to 2nd December 2024
*****Funded by DANIDA, Agroforestry for People, Ecosystems and Climate Change (AfPEC), a five-year project (March 2024-April 2029) focusing on Mt. Elgon Highlands in Eastern Uganda aims to foster to use agroforestry to prevent climate change and loss of biodiversity in the region. The project will focus on four districts namely: Mbale, Bududa, Bulambuli, and Kapchorwa. Project Partners: Makerere University, Aarhus University & University of Copenhagen (Denmark), Youth Leading Environmental Change (YLEC), Seniors without Borders, Forests of the World, Stjernekommunikation, and FrellsenKaffe. Through the project, coffee farmers in the region will be supported to export their coffee to Denmark. The project team held the inception meeting on 25th-26th September 2024 in Mbale City.
Overview
Climate change and biodiversity loss are emerging as two of the greatest environmental challenges facing humanity. In Uganda, natural ecosystems such as forests and wetlands contribute considerably to people’s livelihoods and the national economy. However, rapid population growth has led to the degradation of these ecosystems due to increased demand for firewood and the conversion of land for agricultural purposes. Furthermore, the effects of climate change, including variable rainfall patterns and higher temperatures, are leading to a rise in the frequency and intensity of floods, droughts, landslides, windstorms and hailstorms (UNEP- Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in Uganda). Failure to tackle the effects of climate change threatens the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with catastrophic consequences that will hit the poorest and most vulnerable communities first and hardest (UCL Global Governance Institute, 2021). The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems, and restore them to achieve global goals.
Agroforestry as a climate change adaptation strategy
Agroforestry, the purposeful integration of trees or shrubs with crops and/or livestock at the plot, farm, and/or landscape scale, is one potential climate change adaptation strategy to increase the resilience of farmers and agricultural systems against climate risk, providing a range of biophysical and socioeconomic benefits. As highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports of 2022, agroforestry is a promising agro-ecological approach to climate change adaptation because of the multitude of co-benefits that many agroforestry systems provide including, enhanced food security and income opportunities, the provisioning of ecosystem services, and biodiversity conservation (Amy Quandt, et.al 2023). Agroforestry significantly impacts the environment in diverse ways that contribute to both global environmental goals and local sustainability. Despite of the benefits, promotion, implementation and sustainability of agroforestry practices is still not well addressed.
Purpose of the AfPEC project
Coffee farmers in the Mt. Elgon Region in Eastern Uganda have traditionally with success used agroforestry that protects important water catchments and biodiversity hotspots, but these areas now experience degrading soils caused by external factors such as forest loss, soil erosion and population growth. Changes in climate have also affected farming conditions favouring more drought-resistant crops and agroforestry systems with well-developed shade. Agroforestry for People, Ecosystems and Climate Change (AfPEC), a new project funded by DANIDA aims to understand the factors that motivate coffee farmers to engage in agroforestry, and to foster the use of agroforestry to minimize the effects climate change and loss of biodiversity in the region. Specifically, the project aims to document the effects of agroforestry in terms of ecosystem services and livelihood benefits, to understand motivating factors for long-term sustainable development, and to support science-based agroforestry in practice. The project will focus on four districts namely: Mbale, Bududa, Bulambuli and Kapchorwa.
Specific objectives
The project will be implemented though five work packages in line with the objectives below;
1.Quantifying the potential of agroforestry in terms of ecosystem services – Under this objective the focus is to assess the benefits of various agroforestry systems, including carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and other ecosystem services. This research will help stakeholders understand the potential and limitations of different agroforestry approaches and contribute to mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss. Additionally, the findings will be used to select suitable native tree species for planting in highland coffee agroforestry systems.
2.Identifying livelihood benefits from agroforestry and key factors for long-term sustainable development.
3.Channelling scientific knowledge on agroforestry into practice –Given the urgent threats posed by biodiversity loss and climate change in Africa, it is imperative to translate scientific research into practical solutions. In collaboration with NGOs and local farming communities, the project team will disseminate user-friendly information and ensure that research findings directly benefit livelihoods and ecosystems. The goal is to increase local income through sustainable coffee production, carbon credits, and potentially, emerging markets for ecosystem services.
4. Building multidisciplinary capacity at university level –The project will train four PhD students from Uganda, and at least 12 master students from Denmark.
5. Promoting optimized agroforestry systems widely.
Partner Institutions
AfPEC is composed of seven partners: three university partners with multidisciplinary backgrounds, three Danish and Ugandan NGOs and a private communication company. All partners work in close collaboration with four coffee farmer communities. These include; Makerere University, Aarhus University (Department of Ecoscience), University of Copenhagen, Youth Leading Environmental Change (YLEC), Seniors without Borders, Forests of the World, Stjernekommunikation, and FrellsenKaffe.
Project team
The overall PI is Dr Anne Mette Lykke from Aarhus University. At Makerere, the project is coordinated by Prof. John Tabuti from the Department of Environmental Management and Prof. Frank Mugagga from the Department of Geography, Geo-Informatics and Climatic Sciences. Other participants: Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience (Jørgen Axelsen), Makerere University (Dr Josephine Esaete and Dr Kellen Aganyira), University of Copenhagen (Ida Theilade, Nerea Turreira Garcia, Stine Kroijer), Seniors without Borders (Poul Kroijer, Lone Jacobsen, Kjeld Lanng, Frans Theilby, Lars Brodersen, Jan Thorn Clausen, Hazra Okem, Ann Grace Apiita, Emmanuel Alituha, Christopher Ejiku), Youth Leading Environmental Change (Daniel Esayu, Annet Nakkazi, Richard Tusabe), Forests of the World (Jens Holm Kanstrup, Kristian Lybæk, Abiyu Lencho), and Stjernekommunikation (Jan Stjerne).
AfPEC Inception meeting in Mbale City
On 25th-26th September 2024, the project team held an inception meeting in Mbale City to get stakeholder buy-in and concretize roles of team members. The meeting was attended by 52 participants including the project team, farmers from participating districts, RDCs from participating districts, representatives from the participating NGOs – Seniors without Borders, Youth Environmentalists leading Environmental Change (YLEC) and Forests of the World, and Graduate students attached to the project.
Presentations/remarks by the project team
In his welcome address, Prof. Frank Mugagga, one of the project coordinators at Makerere University appreciated participants for honouring and turning up for the workshop, noting that it was important for the team to establish a working relationship for smooth implementation of the project. Outlining the importance of research and partnerships towards the vision and mission of Makerere University, he expressed gratitude to the funders, and the Project PI, Dr Anne Mette Lykke for her unwavering efforts towards securing the grant.
Presenting an overview of the project, the lead Coordinator in Uganda, Prof. John Tabuti explained that although agroforestry systems have been around for long, their contribution has not been well understood and adopted. Discussing the different work packages, Prof. Tabuti said the project would document both negative and positive impacts of highland agro-ecosystems to improve their contribution to ecosystems and livelihoods.
At the meeting, the Project PI, Dr Anne Mette Lykke briefed participants on ethics and the rules governing the DANIDA AfPEC Grant. She presented the partnership grant agreement, highlighting the research ethics considerations, rules on publications, communication and dissemination requirements, and data sharing and management as guided by DFC. She urged the project team to familiarise themselves with the regulations to ensure timely delivery of the intended outputs.
In his remarks, the representative of farmer groups in Mbale District, also Chairperson of Bufumbo Agroforestry Group, Mr. Hussein Mafabi appreciated the project team and funders, noting that the initiative would greatly improve their skills in agroforestry. Highlighting the factors fuelling environmental degradation in the region, Mr. Mafabi decried the lack of a clear policy on plastic waste management, calling for support to avert the crisis. He emphasized the need to translate the project results into actual policy changes to further collaboration beyond AfPEC. “AfPEC has the support of local communities who are eager and willing to participate in the project activities,” he noted.
During the workshop, representatives from the partnering NGOs including Seniors without Borders, Forests of the World, and YLEC shared their experiences working in the region, outlining success stories in coffee agroforestry that the AfPEC project can leverage to achieve its targets. Prof. Jørgen Axelsen briefed participants on the biological pest control processes, whereas Dr James Johns from Forests of the World delivered a presentation on biomass and carbon sequestration in Uganda’s smallholder agroforestry systems. Speaking to participants, Dr Poul Kroijer (Seniors without Borders) noted that through the AfPEC project, farmers in the region will be able to export their coffee to Denmark. The team expressed willingness to support the project activities.
Presentations by MSc and PhD students supported by the Project
AfPEC project will train four PhD students from Uganda, and at least 12 master students from Denmark.
During the workshop, three Masters Students from Aarhus University, Denmark and four PhD students from Makerere University who will be conducting research on different aspects of agroforestry in the Mt. Elgon Region, Eastern Uganda presented their research ideas to participants who provided enriching feedback. These are; Smilie Nielsen (MSc Human Security) who will be examining the factors that motivate young coffee farmers in Mt. Elgon Region to engage in agroforestry, Ms. Josephine Fogt Anderson (MSc Human Security) who will be studying women-nature relations in agroforestry and planting initiatives (How gender equality can be addressed in tree planting and agroforestry projects), and Ms. Matilda Willemoes who will be exploring the potential for carbon sequestration and storage in coffee Forestry systems.
The PhD students include Mr. Patrick Kayima who will study value chain and livelihood benefits of coffee agroforestry, and Ms. Patricia Adoch who will evaluate the influence of different management practices of coffee agroforestry systems on pollinators and pests in the Mt. Elgon Region. Ms. Joyce Lunyolo will conduct research on incentives for stewardship efforts in coffee agroforestry among farmers in the region, whereas Mr. Derick Kisegu will study and document the contribution of Arabica coffee agroforestry systems in mitigation and adaptation to climate change in fragile highland ecosystems of Uganda.
The students will be supervised by academics from the partner institutions namely: Prof Anne Mette Lykke, Prof. John Tabuti, Prof. Frank Mugagga, Dr. Josephine Esaete, Prof. Ida Theilade, Dr. Kellen Aganyira, Prof. Stine Kroijer, and Prof. Katrine GroFriborg.
Remarks by the Chief Guest
Addressing participants, the Deputy RDC Kapchorwa District, Mr. Martin Sakajja, on behalf of the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) in the project area, expressed gratitude for the initiative noting that it holds immense significance for the country and world at large. “Agroforestry represents the fusion of agricultural productivity with ecological conservation—a synergy that is critical for sustainable development in our times. For generations, rural populations have depended on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood. Yet, we know the challenges farmers face: declining soil fertility, erratic rainfall, and dwindling forest resources. Agroforestry addresses these issues by promoting sustainable agricultural practices that not only enhance food security but also generate additional sources of income from forest products such as fruits, timber, and medicinal plants. Through this project, we envision empowering farmers to increase their yields while preserving the natural resources they rely on. By embracing agroforestry, we are not only reducing our vulnerability to climate change but also contributing to global climate goals. I commend Makerere University and all the partners involved in this project for their vision and dedication,” he noted.
Remarks by the representative of Makerere University
On behalf of Makerere University, Dr Henry Ssemakula appreciated the project team for the initiative noting that it aligns with the sustainable development goals (SDGs), the National Development Plan, and the Parish Development Model. “The project is also in tandem with our strategy of transforming Makerere into a research-led University responding to national, regional, and global development challenges, and contributing to global knowledge generation. Its commitment to capacity building through Masters and PhD trainings, community engagement, and internationalization is equally commendable.” He appreciated the funders for supporting AfPEC and several other projects in Uganda.
The workshop was moderated by Dr Josephine Esaete, Dr Vincent Muwanika, and Dr Kellen Aganyira from Makerere University.
On the final day of the workshop, the project team conducted a reconnaissance tour of three research sites namely; Bufumbo in Mbale, Buginyanya in Bulambuli District, and Sipi in Kapchorwa District.