Agriculture & Environment
FoodLAND Project Team Holds Dissemination Meeting for Stakeholders in Wakiso District
******Funded by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 programme, the main aim of the project was to develop, implement and validate innovative, scalable, and sustainable technologies to support the nutrition performance of local food systems in Africa. Held at Makerere University, the meeting served as a platform to sensitize stakeholders on the different products developed by the project, including smart farming technologies, nutrient-rich foods, and the nutritional recommendations for adults and the elderly. The meeting featured clinical screening, and the launch of a 30-day healthy diet challenge.
Overview
Africa’s food system is dominated by a number of challenges ranging from primary and seasonal production to poor quality produce, and limited access to markets. In Africa, the use of outdated farming practices and the low adoption rate of improved agricultural technologies have contributed to low productivity. Issues such as monoculture, lack of crop rotation, and poor soil management are still prevalent across the Continent. Poor infrastructure in terms of roads, storage, and processing facilities limits access to markets and increases post-harvest losses. Moreover, many African farmers and other food systems-related businesses lack access to finance and credit facilities that would enable them to invest in improved agricultural technologies and inputs. (John Ulimwengu, FARMINGFIRST 2023).
In his presentation delivered at the AU Summit in Addis Ababa in 2023, FAO Director General, Dr. QU Dongyu highlighted the need for collective effort to support vulnerable communities with multiple and innovative solutions to build their resilience and transform agri-food systems to deliver better nutrition. Dr QU Dongyu warned that 1 billion people in Africa could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, and the impacts of the climate crisis, conflicts, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine were raising levels of malnutrition and hunger. According to a joint report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, led by FAO, 281 million people in Africa are undernourished, nearly 60 million African children under 5 suffer from stunting, and 14 million suffer from wasting.
Solutions to Challenges facing Africa’s food system
Launched in 2020 with the aim of developing, implementing and validating innovative, scalable, and sustainable technologies to support the nutrition performance of local food systems in Africa, Food and Local, Agricultural, and Nutritional Diversity (FoodLAND) Ugandan project team has come up with a number of initiatives that have tremendously transformed farming in rural communities in the country. Led by Prof. John Muyonga from the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-engineering at Makerere University, the team has developed technologies for precision irrigation and fertigation, smart storage, rodent control, and value addition. Additionally, the team has established infrastructure at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK) for research and training, and has trained over 100 farmers in the different technologies developed, supported the application of ecological principles to ensure sustainable agricultural production, developed nutrient enhanced food products such as noodles containing orange fleshed sweet potatoes and biofortified beans; instant flours containing orange fleshed sweet potatoes, biofortified beans and grain amaranth; and dry eggplant. The team has also developed nutritional guidelines for adults and the elderly. Uganda’s project team: Prof. John Muyonga and Prof. Johnny Mugisha from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University; Dr. Cassius Aruho, Dr. Puline Nakyewa, Dr. Margaret Masette, Dr. Getrude Atukunda, and Dr. Justus Rutaisire from NARO; Mr. Henry Nsereko from VEDCO; and Prof. Dorothy Nakimbugwe from Nutreal.
Funded to the tune of 7 million euros by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 programme, and led by Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna (Italy), FoodLAND project is committed to developing a range of innovations for local agriculture and aquaculture development, as well as to nudging consumers towards healthier eating behaviour in six African countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The project specifically aims to empower smallholder farmers and food operators, foster nutrition responsive and sustainable agro-biodiversity, reinforce the productivity and resilience of food supply chains, and create new market opportunities at both the local and global scales, thereby encouraging the flourishing of rural communities. These achievements are envisaged to benefit both African and European consumers by providing them with traditional-based, healthy, nutritious foods, while encouraging the diffusion of African diets and aiding the fight against malnutrition, particularly in women and children.
Project dissemination workshops
In July 2024, the team held workshops in the project areas of Kamuli and Nakaseke districts to sensitize farmers on the research recommendations, and train them on the technologies developed to support smart farming.
Stakeholders’ engagement/dissemination meeting in Wakiso District
On 29th August 2024, the project team held a dissemination meeting for stakeholders within Wakiso District to sensitize them on the challenges affecting Africa’s food systems, particularly Uganda, and the measures undertaken by the project to address them. Held at Makerere University and attended by staff and students, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and NARO, and representatives of farmer groups, the meeting discussed a number of issues including the engineering innovations for precision irrigation and fertigation, smart storage (charcoal cooling blankets to prolong shelf-life), and rodent control system developed by the research team. The meeting also discussed producer and consumer behaviours, value addition, integrated aquaculture and bio-based packaging, and nutritional recommendations to minimize under-nutrition, malnutrition, and non-communicable diseases.
Presentations by the project team
Briefing participants on the project goal and objectives, Prof. John Muyonga, project coordinator in Uganda emphasized the need to address production and nutritional challenges along the entire value chain.
Delivering a presentation on producers and consumers’ behaviour, Prof. Johnny Mugisha noted that fear of risks was undermining uptake of innovations by the farmers. He highlighted the need for incentives to farmers to promote uptake, and called for support initiatives to reduce risks associated with long term investments such as climate change mitigation strategies. Additionally, Prof. Mugisha explained that the price of food or affordability was associated with consumer food choices, advocating for innovative models to distribute quality food to consumers at fair prices. The research also established that diets of rural women were greatly affected by their level of income, calling for initiatives to improve women’s income, and sensitization on good nutrition.
On behalf of Nutreal Ltd that led the value addition component on the project, Dr Dorothy Nakimbugwe, from the Department of Food Technology and Nutrition, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University, presented to participants the different nutrient-rich products developed. These include; orange fleshed sweet potato, bio-fortified beans, noodles, composite flours, and snacks/daddies. According to Dr Nakimbugwe, food processing improves nutrition and health and reduces post-harvest losses. “Consumption of the nutrient-enhanced foods contributes to higher dietary intake of key nutrients (protein and micronutrients e.g. iron and zinc), and can greatly reduce malnutrition. Reports from UNICEF indicate that malnutrition poses a significant barrier to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), affecting not only health but also education, economic prosperity, and societal well-being. In sub-Saharan Africa, over 30% of children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition. Uganda’s adult population also faces a malnutrition burden. In adults, under-nutrition and nutritional deficiencies lead to low productivity, poor health, and poor pregnancy outcomes.
Presenting the nutritional recommendations, Dr Richard Bukenya from the Department of Food Technology and Nutrition at Makerere University indicated that the causes of malnutrition were largely behavioural. According to the Global Nutrition Report of 2022, Uganda has shown limited progress towards achieving the diet-related non-communicable disease (NCD) targets. 10.4% of adult (aged 18 years and over) women and 2.3% of adult men are living with obesity. Uganda’s obesity prevalence is lower than the regional average of 20.8% for women and 9.2% for men. At the same time, diabetes is estimated to affect 5.6% of adult women and 5.6% of adult men. The 2018 Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) survey by the World Health Organization (WHO), also indicates an increase of diet related health conditions including obesity, diabetes, Cardio Vascular Disease, Coronary Heart Disease, and Cancer with up to 33% of deaths in Uganda related to these non-communicable diseases. The FoodLAND project has worked to supplement efforts by Government to reduce malnutrition. Following desk reviews and stakeholder engagements, the project developed 30 nutritional recommendations for adults and the elderly. These include; i) Daily consumption of locally available fruits and vegetables, whole starchy staples, and protein-rich foods including beans, peas, nuts, fish, eggs, and meat; ii) Limiting the consumption of fried foods, salt, alcohol, and sweetened beverages; iii) Hydrate with fluids, preferably water; iv) Regular engagement in moderate-intensity physical activity like brisk walking, digging, swimming, aerobics, and cycling; v) Undertaking medical examination at intervals of no longer than 6 months to facilitate timely detection and treatment of ailments like diabetes, hypertension, high plasma cholesterol and cancers.
Remarks by the Vice Chancellor
On behalf of the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, the Deputy Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma commended the project team for the initiative. “The research focus of the FoodLAND project is extremely important, especially for us as a country that is highly reliant on agriculture and yet faced with malnutrition, poor market access from agricultural products and the challenge of climate change. While Africa has potential to grow diversity of food, the continent suffers high levels of under-nutrition, nutritional deficiencies, food poisoning and has in recent decades also registered marked rise in prevalence of over-nutrition and associated non-communicable diseases,” he noted. He commended the project for being in line with the University’s 2020-2030 strategic plan, which seek, among others, to strengthen generation and uptake of knowledge and technologies that contribute to socio-economic transformation of people in Uganda and beyond. He appreciated the European Commission for the support extended to the project.
MAAIF Representative
In his address, Mr. Steven Byantware, MAAIF Director for Crop Resources, who represented the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) appreciated the project team for supporting government programmes intended to foster agro-industrialization and mechanisation of agriculture with the aim of transforming the country from subsistence to commercial farming. He urged the team to popularise the research findings through extensive dissemination programmes.
Director General – NARO
On behalf of the Director General of NARO, Dr. Sadik Kassim, Deputy Director General commended the partnership between Makerere and the organization. Highlighting the challenges posed by climate change and mechanization of agriculture, Dr. Kassim said the project is crucial in promoting agro-bio-diversity and nutrition bio-diversity. Regarding uptake and sustainability, he urged the project team to work with the government and private sector to strengthen the innovations. He equally appreciated the European Commission for funding the project.
In her remarks, the Dean, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-engineering, Dr Julia Kigozi commended the project team for the initiative, saying it promotes the CAES innovation-intentional agenda.
The meeting featured testimonies by some of the farmers supported by the project who expressed gratitude, noting that their livelihoods had greatly transformed following the application of the knowledge acquired from the project.
Exhibition, clinical screening, and launch of a 30-day healthy diet challenge
On the side-lines of the dissemination meeting was an exhibition of the different products developed by the project team, and clinical screening as well as launch of a 30-day healthy diet challenge.
More about the project;
Agriculture & Environment
Mak Strengthens Kasese, Mbale Urban Food Systems through Cross-City Learning
Farmers from Mbale City have gained new skills for strengthening urban food production following a four-day learning exchange programme in Kasese Municipality and Kabarole District.
Supported by the Resilient Urban Food Systems (RUFS) Project, the programme, held from 23rd-26th September 2026, brought farmers from Mbale City into direct contact with their counterparts and practitioners engaged in diverse agricultural enterprises. The interaction provided a platform for participants to share experiences, examine practical approaches to production and enterprise management, and identify lessons that could be adapted to strengthen livelihoods and build more resilient urban food systems.
The delegation was led by Prof. Frank Mugagga, Principal Investigator of the RUFS Project and a member of staff in the Department of Geography, Geo-Informatics and Climatic Sciences at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University.
Strengthening Urban Food Systems Through Peer Learning
The exchange forms part of RUFS’ efforts to strengthen urban food systems through peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing, practical skills development and collaboration among farmers and other food-system actors. It builds on work undertaken during the first phase of the project (2021-2023) and second phase (2024-2026) in Mbale City and Kasese Municipality, where the project has supported farmers and stakeholders to identify food-system challenges, strengthen local capacities and promote more resilient and sustainable approaches to urban agriculture.
Funded under the AgriFoSe2030 programme, RUFS places strong emphasis on learning through practical experience. Rather than relying solely on classroom-based training, the exchange enabled farmers to observe agricultural enterprises firsthand and learn directly from practitioners. This hands-on approach gave participants an opportunity to explore practical solutions and consider how farming and enterprise-management practices could be adapted to the conditions of Mbale City.
The programme featured learning sessions at agricultural enterprises and production sites in Kasese Municipality and Kabarole District, each offering a different perspective on urban and peri-urban food production, enterprise management and livelihood diversification.
The farmers visited four farms in Kasese Municipality, including Citrus Agrotech Ltd and Sunice Farm, as well as Mubuku Irrigation Scheme.
Farmers’ Engagement at BIGLAD Agri-Tourism Farm Ltd
A major highlight of the programme was the tour of BIGLAD Agri-Tourism Farm Ltd in Kabarole District, an agricultural enterprise founded in 2008. Beyond agricultural production, BIGLAD provides practical training in agriculture, entrepreneurship, financial management and environmental conservation, offering an integrated approach to improving livelihoods through agriculture.
At the enterprise, the Mbale City farmers were introduced to a diverse range of agricultural enterprises, including bananas, tea, vanilla, macadamia, stevia, yacón and chives, alongside fish farming, poultry and livestock production. The experience illustrated how different enterprises can be combined to maximize the use of available land and resources, spread production risks and create multiple sources of household income.
Guided by the proprietor and 2nd runner-up of the 2017 Harvest Money Expo, Mr. Julius Bigabwa, the farmers gained a broader understanding of agriculture as a business enterprise rather than a subsistence activity. They learnt that successful farming requires deliberate planning, proper record-keeping, prudent financial management, careful selection of enterprises and continuous attention to markets.
The visit also underscored the importance of understanding the entire production chain-from selecting suitable enterprises and managing inputs to production, post-harvest handling, value addition and marketing.
Diversification and Value Addition
One of the key lessons from BIGLAD was the value of enterprise diversification. Engaging in a range of crop and animal enterprises can reduce dependence on a single source of income and strengthen farmers’ ability to manage production challenges, market fluctuations and changing environmental conditions. The experience encouraged participants to consider how complementary activities can be integrated to strengthen household livelihoods.
The farmers also gained insights into value addition and efficient resource utilization. Rather than viewing agricultural produce solely as raw commodities, they explored ways of increasing value and returns through improved production practices, processing, packaging and market-oriented approaches. The integration of environmental conservation into agricultural activities further underscored the need to pursue productivity while protecting the natural resources on which farming livelihoods depend.
For the Mbale City farmers, the experience at BIGLAD offered more than exposure to different agricultural enterprises. It provided a practical framework for planning farming as a business, diversifying strategically, adding value, managing resources responsibly and identifying opportunities for more sustainable returns.
Sharing experiences at Citrus Agro-tech Ltd
For Ms. Kabugho Rebecca, a mixed farmer in Kasese and Manager of Citrus Agro-tech Ltd, farming is a journey of learning, adaptation and perseverance. Her story offered the Mbale City farmers an opportunity to learn from the experiences and challenges that have shaped her agricultural enterprise.
Managing poultry, piggery, banana, tomato, mango and vegetable enterprises, Rebecca has learnt the value of diversification, proper record-keeping and understanding the market. Her experience highlighted how decisions concerning labour, feed, records, market access and enterprise selection can influence the performance and sustainability of a farming business.
She also emphasized the importance of securing reliable water supplies to help farmers sustain production under changing weather conditions.
Rebecca’s experience further highlighted the opportunities that arise when farmers move beyond primary production into value addition and other stages of the agricultural value chain. Her hatchery, for example, has created an additional income stream while responding to the needs of other farmers.
Through Citrus Agro-tech Ltd, she also supports small-scale farmers through training in agricultural enterprises and agronomic practices, supplies banana seedlings and provides internship opportunities for agriculture students. Her enterprise has evolved into more than a production site – it is also a space for knowledge sharing, practical learning and mentorship.
Understanding the market has been equally important to her enterprise. In her poultry business, the surrounding community provides a ready consumer base, illustrating how farmers can strengthen their businesses by understanding local demand and aligning production with market needs.
For the Mbale City farmers, Rebecca’s experience provided practical lessons relevant to their own circumstances. It highlighted that progress in farming depends not only on the size of a farm or number of enterprises, but also on how effectively farmers use available resources, learn from experience, respond to challenges and continuously improve their practices.
The learning exchange was not one-way. As they interacted with Rebecca and observed her enterprises, the Mbale City farmers also shared their own experiences and practical suggestions for strengthening her operations. Among the issues discussed was pest management, including approaches that could improve efficiency, reduce wastage and strengthen enterprise performance.
Learning from Other Farms and Mubuku Irrigation Scheme
The learning continued at Sunice Farm, owned by Ms. Eunice Mutooro Sunday, and at the farm of Ms. Masika Nevercate, both in Bulembia Division, Kasese Municipality. Through interactions with the farmers, the Mbale delegation gained practical insights into vegetable production, enterprise management and ways of improving productivity using available resources.
They also learnt from Ms. Grace Masika, a smallholder farmer in Central Division, Kasese Municipality, whose experience offered insights into how small-scale agriculture can contribute to household livelihoods.
At Mubuku Irrigation Scheme, the farmers gained practical insights into irrigated crop production, with a focus on rice and maize. The visit exposed them to different stages of crop production, from land preparation and planting to water management, crop maintenance and harvesting. It also enabled participants to appreciate how irrigation can support more reliable production, improve productivity and reduce dependence on seasonal rainfall.
Lessons Learnt
The programme demonstrated that valuable agricultural knowledge does not only come from formal training or technical experts. Farmers themselves are an important source of practical knowledge, innovation and experience. Direct interaction with fellow farmers gave the Mbale City delegation insights grounded in real-life experience.
The exposure to diversified agricultural enterprises, agri-tourism, entrepreneurship and irrigation provided practical ideas that farmers could reflect on and adapt to their own circumstances. Key lessons included:
i) Diversification can strengthen household incomes: Farmers learnt the importance of diversifying beyond a single enterprise to spread risk and create multiple sources of income. Combining crop production with livestock, poultry and other complementary enterprises can generate income at different times of the year and reduce dependence on one livelihood source.
ii) Farming requires patience, consistency and passion: Experiences shared by host farmers showed that successful farming takes time. Farmers need to remain committed to their enterprises, learn from setbacks and consistently improve their practices. Passion and persistence were identified as important qualities for sustaining an agricultural business.
iii) Strong partnerships create opportunities for growth: The exchange reinforced the value of building relationships with fellow farmers, local institutions, technical experts, markets and other stakeholders. Partnerships can provide access to knowledge, skills, inputs, markets and new opportunities that individual farmers may struggle to access on their own.
iv) Make informed investment decisions: The farmers learnt that not every seemingly attractive agricultural venture is necessarily profitable. Before investing, farmers need to consider the costs of production, available markets, expected returns, labour requirements, risks and the time required to generate income. Careful assessment can help farmers avoid putting resources into enterprises that may not provide adequate returns.
v) Every coin earned from sales should be accounted for: Proper financial record-keeping emerged as an important lesson. Farmers need to know how much they spend on inputs, labour, transport and other operational costs and how much they earn from sales. Keeping track of income and expenditure enables farmers to determine whether an enterprise is profitable and make better decisions about reinvestment.
vi) Plan labour strategically to ensure smooth operations: The farmers learnt that relying heavily on casual or seasonal workers can disrupt farm operations. They recognized the importance of planning labour needs in advance, developing reliable sources of labour and, where feasible, adopting practices and technologies that reduce reliance on labour-intensive activities.
vii) Sustainability requires continuity across generations: Engaging younger family members can help ensure continuity of agricultural enterprises, preserve valuable experience and knowledge, and support the long-term sustainability of farming activities.
viii) Farmers should embrace new opportunities: The exchange encouraged farmers to remain open to new ideas and opportunities that can strengthen their farming enterprises.
ix) Organic farming can support sustainable production: The farmers appreciated how organic practices can improve soil health, reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, lower some production costs and promote environmental sustainability through better use of locally available resources.
x) Understanding the quality of soil helps farmers make better production decisions: Farmers learnt the importance of observing and understanding their soils before deciding what to plant. Simple observations of soil characteristics, combined where possible with appropriate soil testing and technical advice, can help farmers identify crops that are better suited to particular areas and improve productivity.
xi) Adapt farming practices to local conditions: Farmers learnt that crops and practices suited to one area may not perform similarly elsewhere, making it important to consider local weather, soils and growing conditions.
xii) Start small and grow gradually: Farmers do not always need large amounts of capital to start a new enterprise. Beginning on a manageable scale enables them to gain experience, test the market, address challenges and improve their practices before reinvesting and expanding.
Local Government Appreciation
In the course of the field trip in Kasese Municipality, the team interacted with the Deputy Mayor, Mr. Mupango Rabson, who commended the RUFS Project for its timely and forward-looking approach to strengthening urban food systems.
He appreciated the project’s contribution to equipping communities with practical knowledge and solutions for addressing the interconnected challenges of rapid urbanization, food security and livelihoods.
A similar engagement will be held in Mbale City from 7th-10th October 2026.
Photos of other activities/farms toured
Link to the pictorial of the activities:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WyKkMEwefJHufr-ERzcu9NUdI3fzgIYy?usp=sharing
More about RUFS: https://news.mak.ac.ug/2025/08/mak-launches-phase-ii-of-the-rufs-project-to-strengthen-climate-resilience-food-security-in-kasese-mbale-districts/
On Friday 18th September 2026, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Makerere University Business School (MUBS) and the Uganda Tourism Board held a workshop on a theme “ Digital agenda, artificial intelligence to redesign tourism”.
This event was held at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) where 15 universities participated;
- Makerere University
- MUBS
- Kampala International University
- Metropolitan International University
- Muteesa 1 Royal University
- ISBAT university
- Avance University
- Uganda Wildlife and Research Training Institute
- Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training College
- Kyambogo University
- International University of East Africa
- Ndejje University
- Islamic University in Uganda
- St. Lawrence University
- Uganda Christian University
A highlight of the workshop was an inter-university tourism quiz that tested students’ knowledge of tourism, Ugandan culture and heritage, as well as their ability to interpret photographic representations of tourism attractions. Makerere University’s tourism students emerged as the overall winners, demonstrating strong knowledge and understanding of Uganda’s tourism sector. The winning team was presented with a trophy by the Head of the Tourism Department at MUBS, Dr. Celestine Katongole, in recognition of their outstanding performance.
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