To combat rising child malnutrition in Uganda, Civil Society Organisations, (CSO) have requested the government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), to integrate agroecology into the new food policy.
The government is reviewing the 2003 Food and Nutrition policy to address emerging food safety concerns driven by changing consumption patterns, nutrition trends and urbanization.
The Country Coordinator of Participatory Ecological Land Use Management, (PELUM), Josephine Akia Luyimbazi, highlighted Uganda’s potential to ensure access to healthy and safe food for all while protecting the environment.
Luyimbazi noted: “Agroecology emphasizes circularity. For example, in Kampala markets such as Nakasero, Kalelwe, and Busega, reducing food waste can make a significant difference.”
She posed a critical question: “How can Uganda’s food and nutrition policy incorporate circular economy elements to reduce waste and ensure timely access to processed food for areas like Karamoja?”
Luyimbazi urged MAAIF to draft policy frameworks promoting equitable food distribution and access to food nationwide, emphasizing the role of food in shaping identity and culture.
She made the remarks during the consultative meeting about the review of Uganda’s National Food Policy held at Fairway Hotel in Kampala on Monday (April 21).
The meeting attracted smallholder farmers, pastoralists, civil society actors, researchers, indigenous knowledge holders, and food system advocates among others.
As experts review the national food policy, Luyimbazi poses critical questions: Whose food systems are we promoting? Whose voices are shaping the policy direction? Are we safeguarding our indigenous crops, traditional foods, agroecological knowledge, and the rights of small-scale producers?
According to Luyimbazi, a people-led food system requires a policy framework that upholds agroecology, local food diversity, farmer rights, and ecological balance. Emphasising that policy transformation starts with bold, clear, and united voices.
Luyimbazi stated. “The review of the National Food Policy is an opportunity to shift our food systems toward one that serves our people, our planet, and future generations.”
The senior lecturer at Uganda Martyrs University, Dr Joseph Ssekandi, said, though the previous policy met the targets, it lacked implementation.
While reviewing this policy, Ssekandi disclosed: “MAAIF should target farmers, but also focus on areas where they have a competitive advantage. Instead of importing fertilizers from Russia, we should work with green systems to build soil diversity through composting, mulching, and ensuring proper terracing. This approach will help us produce more consumable food.”
The General Coordinator of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, Dr. Million Belay, emphasized the need for stakeholder engagement, knowledge mobilization and advocacy in the review process, considering shifting nutrition trends.
The Assistant Commissioner, food and nutrition security in the Agriculture Ministry, Alex Bambona, said, the new policy will address under nutrition, climate change adaptation and mitigation among others.
“Climate change affects us all, with unpredictable rainfall patterns, floods, dry spells and increased pest and disease outbreaks. The population has grown significantly since the policy was developed twenty years ago, leading to shifts in consumption patterns and the food economy,” Bambona explained.
The principal Analyst at MAAIF, Irene Odongtho, said, they are reviewing the policy with a holistic lens.
Odongtho noted: “We are assessing its effectiveness over the years and exploring ways to make it more relevant.”
She added, “Good regulatory practice requires periodic policy reviews. After ten years, significant changes occur, making it natural to review and update policies.”
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: A cross section of stakeholders during a consultative meeting about the National food policy review at Fairway Hotel on April 14, 2025. (Photos by Juliet Kasirye)
