Agriculture & Environment
Food vendors can only afford LPG cookstoves at their households – EfD-Mak study
A study conducted by researchers at the EfD Mak Center Uganda has shown that Chapati vendors could only afford to use the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cook stoves at their households. The study findings indicated that LPG cook stoves were more costly for such small businesses.
The study also revealed that Chapati vendors demonstrated considerable credibility on settling instalments and that given appropriate terms and access to hire-purchase schemes can support adoption of cleaner and modern cook stoves by food vendors.
The study titled, “Purchase and Learning Schemes and Adoption of LPG Cook stoves: Experimental Evidence from Uganda”, was funded by Sida under the auspices of the EfD network at an estimated budget of US$ 55,747.
The project was launched on 18th August 2021 under the leadership of Dr. Aisha Nanyiti assisted by three Co-PI’s Prof Fred Matovu, Dr. Suzan Kavuma and Richard Ssebagala , School of Economics, Makerere University.
Disseminating the study findings, on 13th October 2022, Dr. Nanyiti said, Biomass is predominantly the energy used for cooking by households and food vendors in Africa. In Uganda for instance Biomass constitutes 94% of energy used with Fuel wood forming 64% and Charcoal for 30%/.
Nanyiti reported that reliance on biomass increases the deforestation rate and contributes to climate change noting that 44 million tonnes of tree biomass is used per year in Uganda posing negative health effects with respiratory infections accounting for 18% of all illnesses in Uganda with women facing higher risk of illness. .
She said various interventions have been undertaken to promote use of cleaner cooking technologies. Earlier studies focused on improved cookstoves while some studies asses LPG cookstoves.
These studies Nanyiti said, focus on adoption of and attitude towards LPG and identify barriers in high initial cost, limited supplies and perceptions. High initial cost she said, is relevant especially to adoption by the low income groups where subsidization is not sustainable.
“Hire purchase schemes are relevant to easing the high initial cost. These have not been assessed before. Most studies focus on households. This study assesses the impact of Hire purchase schemes, Learning schemes, on adoption of LPG cookstoves by chapati vendors.”, Dr. Nanyiti said.
To achieve the objective Dr. Nanyiti said the study employed a Randomised Control Trial with chapati vendors in the capital Kampala in 3 divisions of Kampala, Constructed 3 clusters of parishes in each division and implemented 3 treatment arms in each division (Treatment 1 information only, Treatment 2-information + hire purchase and Treatment 3-information + grace period learning+ hire-purchase)
Treatments were administered to individual owners at their chapati stalls. From each cluster; 100 chapatti vendors were randomly selected. 5 surveys; Baseline, intervention, first follow-up, second follow-up and endline. Intervention conducted at stall in teams of two and vendors always carried the full kit of LPG cookstove to the stall.
“In Treatment 1 (Information) the research team offered verbal information on the benefits of using LPG cookstoves and offered opportunity to buy the LPG cookstove by paying at once the full cost of UGX 210,000 ($60). This opportunity lasted for two weeks where the vendors refilled gas cylinders themselves at a nearby refill station.
In Treatment 2(Hire purchase) the research team provided Verbal information on the benefits of using LPG cookstoves. Vendors were offered opportunity to buy the LPG cookstove on a hire-purchase in 3 instalments (70,000 @) or 4 instalments (50,000 @). The vendors had opportunity to instead pay at once. The opportunity lasted for two weeks and vendors had to refill the cylinders by themselves at a nearby refill station”, Dr.Nanyiti explained.
In Treatment 3 (Learning) the team provided Verbal information on the benefits of using LPG cookstoves, offered opportunity to use the LPG cookstove for two weeks then decide to buy the LPG cookstove on a hire purchase basis or to pay at once.. The opportunity lasted for two weeks and refill done by the vendors themselves at a nearby refill station. But on returning, vendors would pay 49000 for the gas used.
University management applauds Dr. Nanyiti
The study findings were disseminated during the two in one event of the EfD- Mak center disseminating the outputs from the study funded through the EfD Network but also getting to launch and start the journey for other studies at centres’ conference room on 13th October 2022.
The event presided over by the Principal College of Business and Management Sciences brought together members of staff and students from the School of Economics and Agricultural sciences and the EfD members.
The Principal Prof. Eria Hisali congratulated Dr. Aisha Nanyiti and the team upon delivering the research output calling for more involvement of other stakeholders during the dissemination activities.
“Dr. Nanyiti and your team, we congratulate you and thank you for delivering and for not disappointing the network. From the questions that were coming up, it clearly seems to be a very interesting study and with a lot of potential to contribute to policy.
Let us get closer involvement of the policy makers, implementers, and key actors from the private sector both in the course of our research but also in the dissemination activities. This is very important for purposes of uptake because you take care of their concerns, insights and that way the findings became immediately useful”, Hisali said.
Hisali also thanked the EfD Global hub for sponsoring the study and the participatory model used in the partnership.
“I thank colleagues from the EfD Global hub for the continued support and for the very healthy partnership. The EfD over the past few years is that kind of partner that does not stop at sending resources and waits for reports but these are colleagues who we are working with along the way .Many of the activities we run, you take off time and participate and urged you keep at that.
Agriculture & Environment
Mak-CAES Trains Small-Scale Processors on Soybean Value Addition & Product Development
The Department of Food Technology and Nutrition (DFTN), Makerere University, in collaboration with Smart Foods Uganda Ltd, successfully conducted a five-day intensive training on soybean value addition and product development from 24th to 28th November 2025. The training was implemented with support from IITA Uganda under the Training for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Soy Compact Project, aimed at strengthening agro-processing capacities and promoting soybean utilization for improved nutrition and livelihoods.
The training program was highly practical and skills-oriented, featuring extensive hands-on sessions designed to equip participants with applicable processing and product development competencies. Most of the practical activities were hosted at Makerere University’s Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre (FTBIC). Participants also benefited from an industry exposure and experiential learning session at Smart Foods Uganda Ltd in Bweyogerere, where they gained first-hand insights into commercial-scale soybean processing operations, quality control systems, and product marketing strategies.
Key thematic areas and technologies covered during the training included soybean nutrition and associated health benefits; assessment of quality attributes of soybeans and soy-based products; application of Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP); and processing of high-quality soy products. Practical sessions focused on the production of soymilk, tofu, soy yoghurt, soy flour, and soy coffee, as well as the formulation of soy-fortified composite porridge flours. Participants were also trained in the development of various soy-based bakery products, including bread, mandazi, daddies, and baghia. In addition, sessions on marketing, branding and positioning of soy products, as well as UNBS certification requirements and documentation, were conducted to enhance market readiness and regulatory compliance.
The training attracted a total of 57 participants, comprising small-scale soybean processors and graduating university students, thereby fostering knowledge exchange between academia and industry. Overall, the training contributed significantly to building technical capacity in soybean value addition, promoting entrepreneurship, and supporting the development of nutritious, market-oriented soy-based products in Uganda. The School of Food Technology, Nutrition, and Bioengineering, under the leadership of Dr. Julia Kigozi (Dean), conducts periodical trainings for agro-processors across the country to enhance technical capacity, improve product quality, and promote the adoption of modern, safe, and sustainable food processing practices. These trainings are designed to equip agro-processors with practical skills in food safety, quality assurance, value addition, post-harvest handling, nutrition, and bioengineering innovations, thereby enabling them to meet national and international standards. Through this outreach, the School contributes to strengthening agro-industrial development, reducing post-harvest losses, supporting entrepreneurship, and improving food and nutrition security while fostering stronger linkages between academia, industry, and communities.
The Department of Tourism at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) on Thursday, 11 December 2025, hosted Prof. Sofia Asonitou from the University of West Attica, Greece. Prof. Asonitou serves as the Regional Coordinator for the Sub-Saharan Africa region under the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (ICM) framework at her institution.
During her engagement with the Department team led by Prof. Jim Ayorekire, deliberations centred on strengthening avenues for international academic cooperation.
The meeting highlighted several key areas of collaboration, including the initiation of student and staff exchanges under the Erasmus+ mobility program and capacity building in tourism governance. The team also explored the development of a joint masters degree program and the design of micro-credit courses aimed at addressing emerging skills gaps within the tourism sector.
Prof. Asonitou’s visit marked an important step toward deepening institutional partnerships and enhancing the global outlook of tourism education and research within CAES.
The Department of Tourism, which was carved out of the former Department of Forestry, Biodiversity, and Tourism, now operates as an independent academic unit offering a diverse and comprehensive range of programmes. The programmes are designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience necessary to thrive in various sectors of the tourism industry, including sustainable tourism development, hospitality management, and eco-tourism.
Agriculture & Environment
How transformative education is shaping Africa’s next generation of innovators
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 articulates a clear continental ambition; to unlock Africa’s potential to feed itself and to harness the transformative power of its greatest asset, its people. While natural resources remain abundant and diverse, Africa’s long-term prosperity hinges on the strategic cultivation of human capital through robust, forward-looking education systems.
Like many governments across the continent, the Government of Botswana, the host of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)’s 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM), aligns closely with the Sustainable Development Goals of zero hunger and no poverty. It also upholds the collective aspirations of African Heads of State and Government expressed in the Kampala Declaration under the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).
Against this backdrop, the pre-AGM session on transformative education and ecosystem engagement convened hundreds of scholars, policymakers, and thought leaders from Africa and beyond. The discussions underscored a shared urgency that strategic collaboration must move from concept to action if the continent is to confront its pressing challenges of food insecurity, public health vulnerabilities, conflict and displacement, youth unemployment, and the persistent pressures of migration. The message was clear; Africa’s transformation requires not isolated interventions, but integrated, interdisciplinary solutions.
In fulfilling the CAADP agenda, universities stand at the forefront. They must leverage every available opportunity to generate workable, evidence-based solutions through science, technology, and innovation. However, they cannot act alone. National Agricultural Research Systems, the private sector, civil society, and development partners must each play an indispensable role in strengthening Africa’s education and agricultural systems. Together, these institutions form the ecosystem that will determine whether Africa can translate its ambitions into tangible progress.
The Youth Dividend
Since its establishment at Makerere University in Uganda in 2004, RUFORUM has supported the training of more than 3000 students across the continent at PhD, Masters, undergraduate and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) level. These scholars, drawn from diverse African countries and hosted in universities across the region, represent a deliberate investment in building Africa’s scientific capacity and advancing pan-African collaboration. Notably, 98% of RUFORUM-supported graduates continue to work within their home countries or regions, reinforcing national and regional development efforts.
A key contributor to this impact is the Mastercard Foundation supported initiative, Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev2.0). This programme strengthens universities, Technical, and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to drive inclusive, equitable, and climate-resilient transformation of agriculture and agri-food systems. Through experiential learning, practical skills development, and youth empowerment, TAGDev enhances the ability of young Africans to engage meaningfully in agriculture as innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs.
Across both TAGDev 1.0 and 2.0, thousands of young women and men have been equipped to establish profitable enterprises and create employment opportunities within their communities.
This transformative impact was evident during a keynote address by Dr. Yeukai Mlambo from the MasterCard Foundation followed by a panel session where four young entrepreneurs and beneficiaries of RUFORUM MasterCard supported programmes, shared their journeys. Their enterprises span a wide spectrum. From improving and multiplying high-quality potato seed in Nakuru Kenya by Winnie Wambugu, to equipping differently abled persons (PWDs) with agronomy and entrepreneurship skills in Uganda by Zena Saliru, to skilling refugees in the west Nile region of Uganda by Gordon Victor Akejo to supporting out-of-school youth to become self-reliant by Kato Omia. These stories illustrate not only the ingenuity of Africa’s youth but also the importance of sustained investment in higher education and innovation ecosystems. They embody the youth dividend that Africa stands to gain if it continues to nurture the potential of its young people.
A moment Africa cannot afford to miss
As the conversations by the young entrepreneurs have made clear, Africa stands at a pivotal moment. The continent’s aspirations captured in Agenda 2063, the SDGs, and the CAADP commitments cannot be realised through intention alone. They demand systems that elevate human capital, institutions that collaborate rather than compete, and education models that prepare young people not merely to seek opportunity but to create it.
The stories shared by emerging entrepreneurs and young scientists are more than inspiring anecdotes; they are proof points. They show that when universities are empowered, when partnerships are genuine, and when young people are trusted with the tools and mentorship they need, transformation is already underway.
The scale of Africa’s challenges requires an equal scale in commitment by Governments, universities, research organisations, the private sector, and development partners who must deepen investments in higher education, innovation ecosystems, and youth-focused initiatives. Failure to do so risks squandering one of the continent’s most powerful assets, its demographic dividend.
Africa must therefore double down on transformative education and ecosystem-led collaboration. The momentum witnessed in Botswana should not end with the AGM. It should mark the beginning of renewed resolve to equip Africa’s young people with the skills, networks, and support they need to lead the continent’s next chapter.
The future is already taking shape in laboratories, fields, innovation hubs, and classrooms across the continent. It is time to scale what works and ensure that Africa’s brightest minds are empowered to build the strong and prosperous nations they envision. Collectively, we shall all achieve the Africa that we want.
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