On 4^th December 2025, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali launched the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) Working Paper Series, a research product aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Uganda’s 10-fold National Economic Growth Strategy (ATMS), and the Makerere University Strategic Plan.

The Series consists of over 60 research papers, many of which have already been accepted in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals. The publications cover a broad spectrum of national priorities, including unemployment, climate change, population dynamics, taxation, entrepreneurship, public investment, corruption, refugee livelihoods, and the green economy.

A landmark moment for Makerere University

Addressing the participants comprising invited guests, staff, students and the media, who convened at the CoBAMS Conference Hall to witness the launch, Prof. Ssali commended the College leadership and staff for championing Makerere’s research vision. “Today is a landmark moment in the life of Makerere University,” she declared. She emphasized that Makerere’s move toward a research-intensive identity was deliberate. “A few years ago, we made a bold and historic decision to reorient the University toward research and innovation. Today’s launch is evidence that this decision has taken root—especially within CoBAMS.”

Prof. Ssali praised the College for providing a modest annual research grant to faculty members, an initiative that produced more than 60 working papers in the 2024/2025 financial year.

She urged the College to transition the Working Paper Series into homegrown journals, adding: “If you can produce 60 papers this year and 80 next year, you have enough content for at least three journals. Journals raise our visibility, raise our H-index, and ensure that anyone researching Uganda finds homegrown scholarship.”

The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) highlighted pressing national issues requiring academic inquiry. “Uganda’s economy grows, but unemployment remains high. When we celebrate entrepreneurship, we are often celebrating survival. These are questions this Series must help confront.”

She also pointed to the importance of research in shaping national discourse: “If people are hungry and unemployed, they will go to the streets. We cannot sit here speaking English and pretend these issues will disappear.”

We are proud of this collective achievement

The Principal of CoBAMS, Prof. Edward Bbaale, described the Series as a major achievement rooted in collective effort and consistent commitment to research excellence. “What we are celebrating today is the result of your collective effort,” he told faculty. “This Working Paper Series is a nursery bed for journal articles, book chapters, and future scholarly outputs.”

He revealed that for the upcoming(2026) paper series, the College has funded over 90 research concepts and expects to produce more than 80 working papers in the 2025/2026 cycle.

Prof. Bbaale emphasised that the College’s four research centres—in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Statistics and Demography, Public Investment Management, and the Environment for Development Initiative—form a strong foundation for sustained knowledge production. “These centres anchor high-level research, policy engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration. They are the backbone of our research ecosystem.”

This journey started with a modest grant

Associate Professor James Wokadala, the Deputy Principal, traced the origins of the Series to a small but impactful College research grant introduced in November 2024. “This afternoon is a very important day for us. This Series is the product of our internal efforts and internal resources,” he said. “By May this year, the working papers had already been finalised by the various principal investigators.”

He noted that each paper went through school-level presentations, editorial checks, and harmonisation before being accepted into the Series. “Today, we are launching 60 of those papers, with many more to follow.”

CoBAMS is a powerhouse of knowledge production

Dr. William Tayeebwa, Chief Managing Editor of Makerere University Press, praised the College’s output and pledged the Press’s support in transforming the papers into high-quality books and journal articles. “The topics and issues contained in the Working Paper Series confirm that CoBAMS is truly a powerhouse of knowledge production.”

He committed to working closely with the College: “We can convert these working papers into journal articles, special issues, and thematic book volumes within six months. Makerere University Press stands ready to support you.”

Dr. Tayeebwa highlighted the broad range of topics covered—refugees, Myooga, malaria, tax compliance, corruption, and more—describing the Series as “a rich intellectual nursery bed.”

PhD Forum: Building the next generation of researchers

Speaking on behalf of postgraduate students, Ms. Sylvia Namujjuzi, Assistant Lecturer and Vice President of the CoBAMS PhD Students Forum, emphasised the importance of peer support in research training. “The PhD journey can be lonely,” she said. “This Forum brings students from the three Schools together to network, share knowledge, organise seminars, and hold mock defences.”

A milestone for Makerere’s research future

Prof. Ssali reaffirmed the University’s commitment: “As Makerere University positions itself among leading research institutions globally, initiatives such as the CoBAMS Working Paper Series give concrete meaning to our strategic vision.”

She officially launched the Series with a call for sustained excellence: “May it grow, mature, and inspire a new generation of researchers. May it elevate Makerere University’s intellectual footprint.”

Researchers, government officials and private sector actors convened in Kampala to draw a roadmap for accelerating the adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) as Uganda struggles with rising climate shocks, stagnating agricultural productivity and worsening poverty levels.

The high-level annual workshop, held on December 4, 2025 at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, was organised by the Environment for Development (EfD) Mak Centre through its regional Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) Programme. The initiative seeks to strengthen links between research and policy, improve knowledge uptake, and identify long-standing barriers limiting CSA adoption in Uganda.

The annual IGE transformation initiative requires public servants to demonstrate how they can translate training into practical solutions. This year’s focus is on advancing CSA as a vehicle for sustainable production, poverty reduction, gender inclusion and resilience across agricultural value chains.

The meeting brought together stakeholders from key ministries including Agriculture, Finance, and Water, Tourism along with researchers, academia, private sector suppliers of solar-powered irrigation technologies, civil society, farmers’ representatives and the media., with discussions focused on strategies to improve farmer uptake of CSA practices and to ensure the country’s agricultural sector remains a backbone for economic growth.

Uganda’s Agriculture at crossroads

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Emmanuel Odeng warned that Uganda’s agricultural sector, long considered the backbone of the economy, is now facing severe setbacks driven largely by climate change and weak investment in resilient food systems.

Odeng noted that agriculture still contributes significantly to Uganda’s development, accounting for 24% of GDP as of 2022/23, 35% of export earnings and employing over 80% of the population. “This sector remains the main pathway to poverty reduction; Uganda cannot develop without agriculture,” he said.

However, he observed that agricultural contribution to the economy has stagnated and, in some cases, declined sharply. GDP contribution has dropped from 34.1% in 2009 to 24% in 2022, a trend he said should alarm policymakers and CSA implementers.

“Yields are decreasing, water sources are reducing, heat waves are rising. Communities are becoming more vulnerable, and many households are slipping back into poverty,” Odeng said.

He cited recent statistics showing that while 8.4% of households moved out of poverty, 10.2% slipped back in, resulting in an additional 1.4 million Ugandans falling into poverty between 2019 and 2021.

Climate shocks worsening vulnerability

The keynote highlighted the increasing frequency of climate-related disasters including droughts, floods, landslides and the siltation of major water bodies such as Lake Kyoga as major threats to productivity and food security.

Uganda’s forest cover, wetlands and grazing lands are shrinking rapidly, with more than 6,000 gazetted wetlands facing severe encroachment. Odeng revealed that modelling conducted by the Ministry shows a consistent decline in natural resource size and quality over the last decade.

“There is a strong relationship between natural resource degradation, economic loss and poverty. This vicious cycle must be broken through science-based approaches,” he said.

The Ministry, he added, is working with development partners to deploy dredgers in key water bodies to restore aquatic ecosystems and fisheries, which have been heavily affected by sedimentation.

CSA Seen as the path to recovery

Odeng called for the urgent scaling-up of CSA approaches across crop, livestock and fisheries value chains, emphasising innovations in agroecology and soil rehabilitation, irrigation and water harvesting, mechanisation,  climate-resilient seed systems, afforestation and agroforestry and post-harvest management and value addition.

MAAIF aims to increase production across value chains by 40%, anchored on resilient value chains and updated CSA compendiums being developed by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO).

He urged researchers to identify priority areas that can help farmers withstand climate shocks, boost household incomes and support Uganda’s agro-industrialisation agenda under the National Development Plan (NDP).

Odeng tasks stakeholders with three critical questions on boosting CSA adoption

Odeng left participants with three pressing questions that he said must guide Uganda’s CSA agenda. First, he challenged researchers to identify which research areas can practically help farmers build resilience and escape poverty, noting that many households continue to slide back into vulnerability due to climate shocks.

Odeng’s second question focused on productivity, calling on stakeholders to determine which Climate Smart Agriculture approaches are most relevant for raising farmers’ yieldsacrossthe country’s struggling value chains.

His third assignment centred on food security and market losses, urging experts to outline which CSA-related strategies can best improve post-harvest handling, an area he said continues to undermine farmers’ incomes despite increased production efforts.

The three questions, he emphasized, should frame the day’s discussions and guide future policy, research and investment priorities.

“We must ask ourselves: Which resilience-building approaches will help farmers move out of poverty? Which CSA options will sustainably increase productivity? These are the questions we must answer today,” he said.

EfD warns of rising climate risks, calls for stronger research–policy linkage

 The Environment for Development (EfD) Mak Centre called for urgent, coordinated action to strengthen CSA as Uganda faces intensifying climate impacts and deteriorating natural resources. Delivering remarks on behalf of the EfD Director, Dr. John Sseruyange urged closer collaboration between researchers and policymakers to address the country’s growing vulnerabilities.

Sseruyange described the workshop’s focus on CSA as “very timely,” noting that climate change has moved from an abstract debate to a lived reality affecting farmers, households and entire ecosystems. “Climate change is no longer something distant. It is happening today, and as a country that depends heavily on agriculture, we must direct our knowledge and skills to climate smart solutions,” he said.

Sseruyange explained that EfD’s annual workshops are purposely designed to reduce the long-standing disconnect between academic research and policy implementation. When researchers work in isolation, he warned, their findings risk remaining unused.

“When you do research without involving stakeholders, your work may remain on the shelves,” he cautioned. “But when policymakers tell you what they want, they own the final product and it informs real decisions.”

He urged government ministries, district officials, academic institutions and other actors present to actively guide researchers on emerging CSA priorities.

Climate change already deepening Uganda’s vulnerabilities

According to Dr. Sseruyange, climate change is already manifesting through declining agricultural productivity, degraded soil and water resources, and weakened resilience across farming communities. These impacts, he said, continue to slow Uganda’s development and threaten progress in poverty reduction.

Sseruyange noted that despite agriculture being the backbone of the economy and the largest employer, its performance remains unstable and highly sensitive to weather variability. He warned that shrinking water bodies, degraded wetlands and reduced forest cover are undermining rural livelihoods and stressing agricultural systems.

“Ecosystems are degrading fast. Many of our gazetted wetlands and forest reserves are shrinking, and water sources are getting more strained,” he said. “These challenges directly affect agricultural output and household income.”

Need for targeted research and CSA interventions

Sseruyange emphasized that Uganda cannot advance CSA without research that responds to actual field challenges, especially in the context of increasing droughts, erratic rainfall and soil depletion. He urged researchers to prioritize practical, scalable innovations that strengthen resilience and sustain production.

He also highlighted the importance of improving post-harvest handling, mechanization, soil health and climate-resilient farming techniques, saying these areas should guide future research and policy support.

Concluding his remarks, Sseruyange tasked participants with three questions that he said should shape Uganda’s future CSA agenda and guide the work of researchers and policymakers alike:

1. Which research areas can help farmers become more resilient and overcome poverty?
2. Which CSA approaches are most relevant for boosting farmers’ productivity?
3. Which climate-smart strategies can improve post-harvest handling and reduce losses?

He said these questions will help determine the direction of upcoming EfD research and strengthen the evidence base needed for effective climate-resilient agriculture.

Sseruyange thanked participants for their engagement and reaffirmed EfD’s commitment to supporting Uganda’s transition to sustainable, climate-smart farming systems.

Low CSA uptake threatens Uganda’s food security, livelihoods and long-term growth – Dr. Peter Babyenda

Policy Engagement Specialist Dr. Peter Babyenda sounded the alarm over Uganda’s slow adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), warning that the country risks missing its food security and development targets unless farmers, policymakers and extension workers urgently scale up climate-responsive farming practices.

Babyenda said Uganda cannot afford to delay implementing CSA strategies, given the rising threats of drought, floods, erratic rainfall and pest outbreaks that continue to devastate farms across the country.

“CSA offers triple wins – increased productivity, greater climate resilience and potential climate mitigation,”  Babyenda said. “But despite these clear benefits, adoption among farmers remains very low.”

Babyenda cited EfD studies and stakeholder interviews showing that farmers face major constraints, including logistical barriers, limited affordability of CSA technologies, inadequate extension services, and low awareness or motivation to adopt climate-resilient practices.

“We need to invest in CSA-focused extension services, support farmer training, raise awareness, and design policies that deliberately include women and youth,” he emphasized.

According to  Babyenda, agriculture remains the backbone of Uganda’s economy contributing 23.8% of GDP and employing 68% of the working population. It is also central to the country’s value-addition agenda under the Fourth National Development Plan.

But the sector is undergoing strain from climate change.

“Over 96 percent of farming households rely on rain-fed agriculture, making farmers extremely vulnerable to climate variability,” he said, citing rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, droughts, floods, landslides and increasing pest and disease outbreaks.

He warned that these climatic pressures threaten food security and Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions, including the country’s “tenfold growth” aspiration by 2040.

Rising population adds pressure

Uganda’s rapidly growing population projected by the UN to potentially double in coming decades has intensified demand for food even as climate impacts reduce agricultural productivity.

“Farmers face a dual challenge: feeding a growing population while adapting to worsening climate shocks,” Babyenda noted.

He added that agriculture itself contributes to climate change through unsustainable farming practices, creating a “complex cycle” that demands urgent policy and behavioural reforms.

Government moving, but gaps remain

Dr. Babyenda acknowledged that government ministries particularly Agriculture, Water and Environment, Energy, and Finance are already promoting CSA to improve productivity, resilience and emissions reduction.

CSA practices such as conservation agriculture, improved seed varieties, water-conserving irrigation, agroforestry and integrated pest management offer Uganda a path to more resilient food systems.

However, he stressed that these interventions must be scaled up and better aligned with local realities.

“We need localized, context-specific partnerships that make CSA accessible and practical for farmers, especially smallholders,” he said.

Dr. Babyenda said the workshop   was crucial for ensuring that Uganda’s agriculture sector can withstand climate shocks while supporting economic transformation.

“Scaling up CSA is not just desirable—it is essential for Uganda’s economic and environmental stability,” he concluded.

Transformation Initiative to tackle adoption barriers for smallholder farmers– IGE Fellow

 In a bid to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience to climate change, Opeet Thomas, an IGE fellow presented the Transformation Initiative (TI) aimed at accelerating CSA adoption among smallholder farmers in Uganda.

Opeet  highlighted that agriculture, which employs over 70% of Uganda’s population, remains highly vulnerable to climate shocks, including erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, livestock heat stress, floods, and droughts.

“The challenges are not hypothetical; they are very real for our farmers,” Opeet said, citing a 2019-2020 survey indicating drought as a major contributor to agricultural shocks. “Even this year, planting seasons have been disrupted by unpredictable rains and extreme heat, making it very difficult for farmers to sustain production.”

The Transformation Initiative, a research-based activity developed by IGE fellows, aims to identify solutions to critical issues affecting CSA adoption. Opeet explained that limited uptake of CSA is partly due to low farmer awareness, inadequate extension services, high input costs, and the incapacity of extension workers themselves to disseminate knowledge effectively.

“Extension workers play a pivotal role in bridging the knowledge gap, yet many lack the skills, transport, and institutional support to reach farmers,” he noted, adding that policy and institutional frameworks often fail to prioritize CSA innovations, leaving essential initiatives underfunded or poorly implemented.

Opeet outlined a framework for technology adoption, emphasizing the interaction between technology providers, supportive policies, extension workers, and farmers. He stressed that even when technologies such as irrigation systems, composting, and the use of beneficial insects like the black soldier fly exist, adoption remains limited due to resource constraints, lack of awareness, and low capacity among implementers.

Highlighting the benefits of CSA, Opeet emphasized the “triple win” it offers: higher production and productivity, increased resilience to climate shocks, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. He cited examples such as small-scale irrigation and innovative insect-based feed for livestock and fish as practices with high potential, provided they are scaled up effectively.

Despite these opportunities, Opeet warned that challenges persist, including the high cost of inputs, limited water access, land constraints, and a general disinterest in farming among youth. He called for increased research, policy support, and education to bridge these gaps and make CSA accessible to all farmers.

“The goal of the Transformation Initiative is to generate evidence that informs policy and practical interventions so farmers can adopt CSA effectively,” he said. “If implemented, CSA can improve yields, strengthen resilience against climate shocks, and contribute to environmental sustainability.”

Workshop Takeaways: Strengthening Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) for National Impact

The workshop brought together key stakeholders to identify practical solutions for scaling CSA across Uganda. Participants emphasized the need for stronger policy engagement, improved extension support, and enhanced cross-sector collaboration to accelerate nationwide adoption of CSA practices.

Experts highlighted the importance of innovation, policy alignment, and farmer engagement as essential drivers of productivity and climate resilience. They noted that meaningful partnerships between researchers and practitioners are critical for translating technical knowledge into actionable interventions on the ground.

Discussions underscored the urgency of integrating CSA into existing national policies to safeguard food security and strengthen rural livelihoods. Stakeholders also pointed to the value of innovative practices such as irrigation technologies and the use of beneficial insects like the black soldier flies in boosting both productivity and resilience.

Participants identified three priority areas for advancing CSA: Research to enhance farmer resilience and reduce poverty; CSA approaches that sustainably improve agricultural productivity and Strategies to strengthen post-harvest handling and reduce losses.

The workshop further highlighted the need to invest in farmer-to-farmer extension models, community-based facilitators, and improved profiling of extension workers to ensure knowledge reaches even remote communities. Participants stressed that CSA solutions must remain affordable and practical, avoiding undue burdens on farmers or the national treasury.

The meeting closed with a strong spirit of collaboration, as stakeholders committed to refining CSA strategies and ensuring that research, policy, and practice continue to move in tandem to transform Uganda’s agricultural sector.

Jane Anyango is the Communication Officer, EfD-Mak Centre

FOREWORD

Guided by its vision and its mission to provide innovative and industry-aligned teaching, learning, and research responsive to dynamic national and global needs, Makerere University is committed to fostering academic excellence while aspiring to be research led, and producing graduates equipped for life, work and citizenship. Thus, the University makes a direct contribution to strengthening the foundation for the country’s human capital and bridging the knowledge and skills gaps, including those with direct relevance to agro-industrialisation, natural resource management, manufacturing, digital transformation, governance, and security.

In line with the overall University strategic objectives, CoBAMS introduced college level research agenda with a modest research grant as a flagship activity in 2024. The college research plan is well aligned to the University wide research agenda especially of creating an enabling and harmonious environment for research and innovation, while cultivating strategic partnerships to enhance our research capabilities.

Our research outputs are also well aligned to the sustainable development agenda 2030 particularly in aspects of ending poverty, education and skills development, good health for all, climate change, ensuring prosperity in growth and business, and promoting peace and partnerships for all. These research outputs are indeed interconnected, recognising that progress in one area affects others, and they strive to balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability, leaving no one behind.

The College remains committed to supporting quality research that contributes to knowledge creation, policy discourse, and societal impact that stimulate policy debate and also foster knowledge and skills acquisition among the researchers.

“Gratitude is due to the lead authors for drafting the manuscripts that embody innovative ideas and new knowledge that informs policy discourse and decision making.”

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