Agriculture & Environment
Uganda Urged to Strengthen Extension Services to Realize Climate Smart Agriculture Goals
Fort Portal, Uganda
Uganda’s progress toward Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) will remain limited unless deliberate efforts are made to strengthen agricultural extension services and turn policy intentions into real impact for farmers.
This was the key message delivered at a high-level policy dialogue held in Fort Portal, which brought together over 30 district officials, researchers, and policymakers from 11 districts across the Bunyoro and Rwenzori sub-regions.
The dialogue, held at Night Rose Hotel, was organized by the Environment for Development (EfD)–Mak Centre, under Makerere University, coordinated by the EfD Global Hub at the University of Gothenburg Sweden, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The event aimed to deepen local understanding of CSA and strengthen connections between policy frameworks and implementation at the grassroots.
In his welcome remarks, Baguma Brian James, Senior Fisheries Officer for Kabarole District, thanked the EfD team for bringing such a relevant discussion to the region. He described the event as a moment of professional and academic reflection, noting that many participants had been reawakened to concepts they once encountered in school.
“I’d like to thank you all for being part of these valuable engagements,” Baguma said. “As Kabarole District, we are actively participating in this project. Our farmers are progressing toward co-funding stages for input support.” He expressed hope that the dialogue would not only offer technical knowledge but also actionable strategies participants could take home and apply.
Representing the Director of EfD-Mak Centre, Dr. Nicholas Kilimani underscored the importance of science in guiding agricultural decisions. He reminded participants that the EfD Centre’s functions include research, outreach, and policy engagement – all of which converge in dialogues like this one.
“The theme of this dialogue Smart Agriculture resonates with Uganda’s urgent need to sustain its agricultural backbone amid mounting pressures from climate change and human activity,” Dr. Kilimani said. He emphasized that decision-making must be grounded in scientific evidence rather than conjecture, pointing out that agriculture, while essential to Uganda’s economy, continues to suffer under environmental degradation, poor planning, and the effects of climate variability.
“We are no longer in an era of trial and error. Decision-making must come from science, not hearsay,” he added. Kilimani also highlighted the power of global collaboration, noting that the EfD network spans six continents, creating a powerful exchange of knowledge to support sustainability around the world. “We are using these global synergies to contribute to a sustainable planet—of which we only have one.”
Fort Portal Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Busingye Emmanuel, officially opened the dialogue and welcomed participants to the city. He applauded the event’s focus on climate-smart agriculture but lamented the widespread failure to enforce environmental laws and coordinate government action effectively.
“Uganda is not short of laws or institutions to protect the environment. The problem is either poor coordination or outright inaction,” Busingye said. He cited the continued degradation of wetlands in Fort Portal as a key example of where environmental protection efforts fall short. While several government agencies exist to enforce these policies, their actions are often fragmented or undermined by personal and political interests.
“If we did what we are supposed to do, we wouldn’t have this level of environmental destruction,” he added. Busingye further urged participants not to treat the event as a box-ticking exercise but as a launching point for real implementation on the ground. “Let’s not attend workshops and stop there. Let us act on the ground.”
Presenting an overview of CSA, Dr. Peter Babyenda revealed sobering statistics about land use and degradation. He noted that agriculture accounts for 72% of Uganda’s land use and that 41% of this land is already degraded. If the current trend continues, by 2040, nearly 90% of Uganda’s land could be under agricultural use, intensifying environmental stress.
“Our natural forest cover once fell to 9%, though efforts to promote CSA have raised it to around 30%,” Dr. Babyenda explained. He warned, however, that only 30% of farmers in Uganda are currently practicing climate-smart techniques — a dangerously low figure given the urgency of climate change.
“CSA offers a triple win increased productivity, improved resilience, and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “But adoption remains low due to costs, lack of awareness, and poor access to technologies.” Dr. Babyenda also highlighted the European Union’s upcoming regulatory requirements on deforestation-free coffee exports, warning that Uganda could lose access to lucrative markets if it fails to embrace CSA practices. “Without climate-smart agriculture, our exports will suffer,” he stated.
Dr. Florence Lwiza Nsereko delivered an evidence-based presentation on CSA case studies and emphasized the critical role of extension services in scaling CSA. She reiterated that agriculture, deforestation, and other land-use forms like livestock production remain Uganda’s largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Yet despite an abundance of policy documents, actual implementation remains weak.
“Climate Smart Agriculture integrates productivity, adaptation, and mitigation. But its adoption remains low because our extension services lack capacity,” Dr. Lwiza said. She pointed to key barriers in extension delivery, including lack of access to training, weak institutional support, and poor perceptions about CSA among field officers. Notably, she revealed that female extension workers often outperform their male counterparts in CSA delivery.
She further noted that Western Uganda is both highly vulnerable to climate shocks and densely populated, making it a prime candidate for CSA interventions. “Western Uganda is both a climate risk hotspot and an opportunity zone. Now is the time to act,” she concluded.
Adding another layer to the discussion, Dr. Aisha Nanyiti presented research on the role of renewable energy micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in transforming agriculture across Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. She argued that clean energy and climate-smart practices must be pursued together to achieve inclusive, low-carbon growth.
“Agricultural modernization and climate goals can go hand in hand — if we remove barriers to clean energy,” she said. She stressed the importance of financial access, supportive regulations, and targeted capacity building to ensure that MSMEs can support CSA.
Closing the dialogue, Deputy Speaker of Fort Portal City, Tusiime Florence, expressed gratitude to the organizers but raised concerns over the sustainability of such engagements. She urged EfD-Mak and its partners to avoid the common trend of one-off workshops that do not translate into long-term support for local governments.
“Workshops come and go, but no one returns to follow up with our communities,” she said. Tusiime called attention to the overwhelming workload and underfunding of agricultural extension officers, many of whom use their own money and have no transport to reach rural areas. “Our extension workers are overworked and underfunded. They have no motorcycles, no transport,” she said. “Yet they are expected to implement national climate and agricultural goals.”
She called for continued support and follow-through from Makerere University and the EfD-Mak Centre. “When farmers dry maize on bare soil, it’s not ignorance – it’s lack of training and support,” she noted. “If you come back and work with us, we will make CSA work.”
The Fort Portal dialogue highlighted the growing urgency to transition from policy declarations to farmer-level action, as climate shocks continue to impact agricultural livelihoods. While Uganda has made strides in crafting climate and agriculture policies — including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and CSA frameworks — weak operationalization, limited financing, and poor coordination remain major obstacles. Stakeholders agreed that building capacity, particularly among extension workers, remains the single most effective route to scaling climate-smart agriculture and delivering tangible impact where it matters most — at the farm.
Agriculture & Environment
Strengthening Capacity and Shaping Policy: Makerere University Reviews Progress of MERIT and Environmental Risk Research Programs
Makerere University, this week, through the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), hosted a comprehensive impact review of the Environmental Risk Management Under Increasing extremes and Uncertainty (MERIT) Project, bringing together faculty, researchers, students, and partners from Ugandan and Norwegian institutions. The discussions highlighted the transformational impact of collaborative research, student engagement, and capacity development in shaping policy, strengthening community resilience, and advancing Makerere’s contribution to national development.
A Cross-Continental Partnership Driving Change
The MERIT Project, focusing on Environmental Risk Management and the Increasing Extremes and Uncertainty, is a five-university collaboration funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) under the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED) programme. The project, which runs from 2021 to 2026 (with a one-year extension due to COVID-related delays), seeks to enhance mutual collaboration between universities in Sub-Saharan Africa and Norway. The project grant is worth 20 million Norwegian kroner and is being implemented across four Universities, namely, Makerere University, Uganda Martyrs University, University of Dar es Salaam, and Haramaya University in Ethiopia, with a strong involvement of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Western University of Science and Technology.
Its core components include:
- Curriculum review and development
- Staff and student training (Master’s and PhDs)
- Joint research and publications
- Community-based environmental risk interventions
- Student and staff exchange programs
- SDG integration and gender mainstreaming
So far, 20 staff and 15 mainstream students have benefited from and participated in the project initiatives, with 13 Master’s and 2 PhD candidates progressing through specialised training in environmental risk management, geohazards, and disaster risk studies.
Student Research Driving Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice
The MERIT and NORHED-supported projects have empowered graduate students and early-career researchers at Makerere University to undertake cutting-edge research that directly informs Uganda’s environmental risk management agenda. Although the full findings are yet to be published, the projects have catalyzed important scientific inquiry in several key areas.
Some of the students are currently working on:
- Improving environmental data and modelling to strengthen flood forecasting, hydrological planning, and climate-related risk assessment in high-risk regions.
- Assessing disaster risk reduction practices at the local government level and examining how global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework and the SDGs are being implemented on the ground.
- Exploring nature-based solutions, including sustainable approaches to land restoration, riverbank stabilization, and ecosystem protection.
- Studying climate impacts on agriculture and food systems, with a focus on supporting vulnerable households and smallholder production.
- Mapping urban ecological systems, including forest patches and carbon stocks, to guide sustainable urban planning.
- Documenting community-led adaptation strategies and traditional ecological knowledge to strengthen locally grounded resilience approaches.
- Evaluating the role of non-state actors, such as NGOs and community groups, in environmental risk reduction and recovery efforts.
Together, these research efforts are generating practical insights that can shape policy development, inform district and national planning, and strengthen community resilience. The projects are also building a new cohort of scientists equipped with the skills to bridge academic work with real-world environmental management challenges.
Community Engagement and Local Knowledge at the Centre
The Environmental Risk Management component of the MERIT project has contributed to impactful knowledge and research vital for community interventions in highland and mountainous areas such as Mbale, Bududa, Sironko, and other districts that are prone to environmental risks, like landslides, flooding, and geohazards.
Key community-focused activities highlighted in the meeting included digitizing households in high-risk areas, using remote sensing and GIS to develop contextual warning systems, documenting and integrating traditional ecological knowledge, assessing community resilience and vulnerabilities, and generating data for localized environmental risk planning. Such engagements not only strengthen community preparedness but also provide students with rich field experience and data for their research.
Student Exchanges and a Global Learning Experience
In an Interview, Prof. Harald Aspen,the Head, Department of Geography and Social Anthropology at NTNU, and Dr. Charlotte Nakakaawa Jjunja, the administrative co-ordinator of the project at NTNU, noted that, so far, five students from NTNU are currently undertaking research and internships in Uganda, immersing themselves in local challenges and contributing to joint innovations. Ugandan students have also benefited from exposure to Norway’s systems, creating a two-way flow of knowledge and experience.
They further noted that the exchange program, supported by the CostClim project under the Norpart project, helps students appreciate the complexities of implementing SDGs in diverse contexts, turning theory into practical, actionable insights.
Strengthening Makerere’s Institutional Capacity
Makerere University has benefited significantly from the MERIT collaboration. In his remarks, Prof. Yazhidi Bamutaaze, the Deputy Principal, CAES, noted that the College had acquired a Land Cruiser to support fieldwork, funding for curriculum review and SDG evaluation, support for gender mainstreaming initiatives, research funding for senior academic staff, enhanced visibility through joint publications and innovations, competence development trainings for college staff and students and co-supervision arrangements among others.
Such partnerships reinforce the University’s strategic commitment to cutting-edge research, global collaboration, and community impact.
Sustainability, Student Energy, and the Path Forward
A major segment of the meeting focused on the operationalization of sustainability principles across the University. Dr. Paul Mukwaya, the Head, Department of Geography, Geo-informatics and Climatic Sciences at CAES, emphasized leveraging student enthusiasm, building sustainability clubs, and avoiding passive “mainstreaming” in favour of proactive sustainability actions.
Key recommendations included:
- Training students on how to develop policy briefs
- Ensuring every student project reflects the SDGs
- Creating a central repository or map of all student work
- Strengthening academic supervision to grow student confidence
- Building systems that ensure research outputs influence actual practice
Dr. Mukwaya further highlighted the importance of student self-confidence, continuous reflection, and mentorship in shaping future academic and professional careers through the MERIT project.
Challenges and Opportunities
While the project has achieved significant milestones, several challenges remain, such as administrative and IT-related delays, balancing donor expectations with academic timelines and bureaucracies, maintaining strong collaborations across multi-university partnerships and ensuring sustainability initiatives are integrated and action-driven
Conclusion: A Growing Ecosystem of Impact
The review meeting affirmed that the MERIT and related research programs are not just academic exercises; they are shaping the future of environmental resilience, policy development, and capacity building in Uganda. The University’s commitment to student growth, collaborative innovation, and evidence-based policy influence underscores the central role Makerere continues to play in national and global development conversations.
As the project enters its final years, the focus now shifts to consolidating gains, scaling successful interventions, and ensuring that the research produced today continues to transform lives tomorrow.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.
The School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering (SFTNB), in partnership with the Makerere Innovation and Incubation Center (MIIC), held the third edition of its Entrepreneurship Exhibition on 12th November 2025, bringing together student innovators to showcase a semester’s worth of creativity, research, and product development. The exhibition is a key milestone under the SFTNB Entrepreneurship Program – Cohort 3, a structured model that guides students through the full innovation journey — from idea generation and business training to prototyping, testing, and market access. Supported by MIIC with a UGX 7 million innovation fund, the program has empowered more than 60 students across 15 innovation groups to develop practical, sustainable, and market-ready solutions in food technology, nutrition, and engineering. This year’s exhibition provided a platform for students to present their prototypes, share their business concepts, and engage with university leaders, industry partners, and potential investors, further strengthening Makerere University’s commitment to nurturing a new generation of entrepreneurial change-makers.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe commended the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering for nurturing innovations that reflect both creativity and commercial potential. He observed that many of the student products exhibited could be patented, scaled up, and exported, provided their shelf life, packaging, and branding are further improved. Emphasizing that innovation must go beyond classroom projects, Prof. Nawangwe urged students to view their work as viable enterprises capable of transforming communities and creating employment. He also pledged the university’s support in helping innovators register companies and access product certification, even suggesting that Makerere could subsidize related costs. He further called for closer collaboration with economists and marketers to assess product feasibility, adding that the university’s innovation ecosystem should include a dedicated marketing unit. He concluded by reminding students that their ideas hold the power to reshape Uganda’s economy and uplift livelihoods. “Don’t think what you’re doing is small. You’re contributing to transforming a whole society,” he said, adding that “You will not need to go out looking for jobs; you will be creating them.”
The Dean of the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering, Prof. Julia Kigozi, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Vice Chancellor and the university management for their continued support toward the school’s initiatives. She noted that the exhibition was a reflection of the hard work and creativity of students who are being equipped not only with technical skills but also with the mindset to innovate and contribute meaningfully to industry. Prof. Kigozi highlighted that the school’s projects have significant potential for commercialization and industry collaboration, made possible through ongoing support and funding. She reaffirmed the school’s commitment to nurturing practical, industry-relevant training that empowers students to apply their knowledge beyond the classroom. “When you see the students out here working hard, they are very encouraged,” she said, adding that “what they are doing demonstrates a lot of potential for products to go out for commercialization and for creating training platforms that can support industry in various ways.”
Mr. Gilbert Buregyeya, Programs Lead of the Makerere Innovation and Incubation Centre (MIIC), commended the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering for its commitment to innovation and practical learning. He noted that the partnership between MIIC and the school has been instrumental in redesigning the curriculum to emphasize commercialization and market readiness of student projects. Highlighting ongoing efforts to make the certification process more accessible for young inventors, he revealed discussions with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) aimed at developing flexible, lower-cost certification pathways that allow students to test their products in the market.
Mr. Buregyeya further emphasized the importance of cross-college collaboration within the university, pointing to successful engagements with other colleges such as COFA and Queensland College. He expressed optimism that Makerere’s innovation ecosystem will soon produce groundbreaking, market-ready products capable of competing globally. “We are happy that the journey is underway this semester,” he said, adding that “our goal is to support young innovators to move from small markets to compete with the bigger ones outside, and to make certification and commercialization more attainable for students.”
Representing the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. Edward Bbaale commended the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering for integrating innovation and entrepreneurship into academic training. He described the student exhibition as a celebration of “innovation, action, purpose and science that transforms,” noting that such initiatives align with national goals of value addition, sustainability, and community transformation. Prof. Bbaale emphasized that the showcased projects — spanning food, nutrition, and engineering — demonstrate how students are emerging as entrepreneurial learners and change agents addressing real-world challenges.
He acknowledged the Makerere Innovation and Incubation Centre (MIIC) for supporting student-led research and urged innovators to remain focused, ethical, and community-oriented in their ventures. Commending the mentors and staff for their guidance, he reaffirmed the university’s commitment to building a research-intensive, innovation-driven ecosystem that supports ideas from concept to commercialization. “Never involve yourself in a business when you are not serving a community problem,” he advised, adding that “you have shown resilience, creativity and passion — proving that innovation knows no bounds. The future belongs to those who are ready to build it.”
The exhibition concluded with the recognition of the top-performing student innovation groups, celebrating their creativity, technical skill, and market potential. Umoja Lacto Blend emerged as the Second Runner-Up, impressing judges with its unique product concept and strong value-addition focus. The First Runner-Up, Green Farm Tractor, showcased an innovative engineering solution designed to improve agricultural efficiency and accessibility for smallholder farmers. Taking the top spot was Agri Farm, whose outstanding innovation, clear business model, and readiness for market positioned them as the overall winners of the 2025 cohort. Their achievements reflected the high caliber of talent within SFTNB and the transformative potential of student-led entrepreneurship.
Agriculture & Environment
Vice Chancellor Closes International Conference on Food Systems Transformation for Climate Action
Certificates awarded to participants as Makerere reaffirms commitment to climate-smart agriculture
Makerere University has today October 29, 2025 closed the International Conference on Food Systems Transformation for Climate Action, with participants awarded certificates for their contribution and completion of the intensive two-day engagements. The conference brought together researchers, policymakers, students, and international partners to deliberate on how to transform food systems in the face of growing climate challenges.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe commended the organizers and participants for their active engagement and commitment to addressing challenges in food systems and climate change.
“This training has been very useful. Every conference I attend teaches me something new, and I can see that this has been a rich learning experience for everyone here,” said Prof. Nawangwe. “We must continue to innovate and work closely with smallholder farmers to ensure that even the smallest pieces of land are used productively. Technology, artificial intelligence, and affordable irrigation systems can make a real difference.”
The Vice Chancellor emphasized the importance of turning university research into practical solutions that benefit communities, noting that Makerere’s scientists must go beyond publications to create commercial products and start enterprises that add value to their innovations.
“Our professors should not only retire on government pension but also on royalties from their innovations,” he added. “We must transform our research into products and services that create jobs and wealth.”
He further highlighted the importance of protecting intellectual property and promoting collaboration between universities and industries, drawing lessons from global examples such as Malaysia and China, where research and innovation have powered industrial growth.
Representing the Principal of CAES, Dr. Julia Kigozi, the Dean of the School of Food Technology, Nutrition, and Bioengineering, appreciated the Vice Chancellor for gracing the conference and commended participants for their enthusiasm.
“We explored challenges, trends, and opportunities in food systems and climate change, and this conference has given our researchers and PhD students valuable insights,” she said. “It reminded us that while challenges are shared across countries, we can each start small and still make a difference.”
Dr. John Baptist Tumuhairwe, one of the conveners, emphasized the importance of integrating climate action into food systems transformation, noting that the conference had strengthened Makerere’s networks in food and agricultural sciences.
“This meeting has expanded our collaborations and reaffirmed the university’s leadership in advancing sustainable food systems,” he said. “It was also deliberate in engaging the youth, who are our next generation of innovators.”
On behalf of the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), Dr. Haris Akram, the Program Manager, thanked Makerere University for hosting the international gathering and reiterated the need for continued collaboration.
“We must ask ourselves whether this workshop will make a difference in our lives and practices,” he remarked. “The real success lies in how we apply the knowledge gained to improve food security and sustainability.”
The conference, organized by Makerere University’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in partnership with OIC-COMSTECH, brought together experts from across Africa and Asia to share experiences on sustainable food production, agro-processing, and climate-smart innovations.
Officially closing the conference, Prof. Nawangwe in his remarks reaffirmed Makerere University’s commitment to leading research and innovation in agriculture, food systems, and climate resilience.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of our country and the most important driver of our future,” he concluded. “Let us put our heads and hands together to transform this sector and build a sustainable future for our people.”
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