The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala. Uganda | Patricia Akankwatsa | Dr. Qu Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), concluded a highly productive visit to Uganda on Tuesday, engaging in extensive discussions with various government ministers at the Kampala Serena Hotel. The visit served as a platform to commend Uganda’s vibrant agricultural sector and to chart a course for deeper, more impactful partnerships aimed at promoting prosperity and sustainable development. This high-level engagement underscores the increasing global focus on agricultural development, food security, and sustainable urbanization, particularly in developing nations facing challenges like climate change, rapid population growth, and refugee influxes.
Uganda’s agricultural sector remains the backbone of its economy, employing over 70% of the population and contributing approximately 24% to the national GDP. Despite this, agricultural production growth (around 2% annually) lags behind the population growth rate (3.3%), impacting food security. An estimated 12% of Uganda’s population remains chronically food insecure, with nearly one million people acutely food insecure particularly in areas like Karamoja and refugee-hosting districts, according to the 2024 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
The Director-General firmly reiterated FAO’s commitment to transparency, a cornerstone of its operations.
“FAO is a professional organization for food and agriculture. We don’t have a secret,” he declared, highlighting that all the projects should be transparent.
He specifically lauded the “Hand-in-Hand Initiative (HANI),” an ambitious undertaking designed to consolidate and implement proposals from member states, particularly those from Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs).
Dr. Dongyu unveiled his vision for comprehensive modernization through six strategic initiatives, with a primary focus on agriculture. He advocated for a bottom-up approach.
“First, start with agriculture. Not with the animals. From the village to the community, to the township, to the county, and to the provincial city. Not all politicians start from the capital. It’s wrong. Because if you don’t solve the problem, the small problem is the village. All the small problems come from the town. All the small problems come from the town. And then create a lot of costs.”
He stressed the key role of political will, asserting, “If you don’t show your political will, and the cost will be less. Less value in the country.”
Drawing parallels from China’s experience, he explained, “The country leader, even if they change the country leader, they’ll never change the major industry. If they change it, they couldn’t have enough time to show to the leaders.”
He encouraged Uganda to harness its abundant land and water resources to implement efficient agricultural practices, including fostering home gardens and promoting healthy competition among communities.
On the critical subject of green cities, Dr. Dongyu urged a forward-looking approach to urban planning, drawing lessons from the challenges faced by densely populated cities elsewhere. He stressed the importance of early design, stating, “If you design earlier, you avoid a lot of challenges. You design earlier, and then avoid, you have a right line, not allowed to build a building.”
He envisioned a future where Ugandan cities seamlessly integrate green spaces, well-planned infrastructure, and diverse residential offerings, reflecting a balanced and equitable prosperity.
The Green City Initiative, launched in 2020, stands as a testament to this vision, with a particular emphasis on African nations.
Maximo Torero, FAO’s distinguished Chief Economist, emphasized the strategic imperative of attracting private sector investment, recognizing Uganda’s stable environment as a key advantage.
“Uganda is a very stable environment. You really provide what private sector is looking for. Stability,” he stated.
FAO’s goal is to reduce any company risk. Through information. But also, to reduce risk, thereby accelerating investment, including from entities like the private arm of the African Development Bank. He highlighted the scalability of solutions.
“Once we resolve a problem in one location. In the country we will be able to scale up.” He also referenced the “One Country One Priority Commodity” strategy, designed to help Uganda identify and globally promote key commodities, thereby leveraging opportunities presented by the African Free Trade Agreement.
Hon. Bright Rwamirama, the Minister of State for Animal Industry, expressed concerns about the rapid and unplanned urbanization encroaching upon invaluable agricultural land, particularly in areas like Kampala and Mukono.
“We are destroying arable land and we shall regret it if we don’t start now,” he warned, urging a cabinet-level discussion to address this critical issue.
Uganda’s urban population is growing at a fast pace of 4.5% per annum, and the urbanized land area has seen an increase of 0.08% from 1992 to 2020, often at the expense of agricultural land.
He emphasized the paramount importance of climate-smart agriculture, preserving the environment, and relocating communities from swamps. He also highlighted the economic wisdom of disease prevention. “It’s more economical to prevent diseases than curing them”. He outlined ongoing investments in vaccine production for diseases such as FMD and Antitick, alongside research into swine fever. The Minister advocated for Kampala to significantly boost its local food production and encouraged the planting of fruit trees in urban backyards.
Representing the Prime Minister, Right Honourable Robinah Nabbanja, Raphael Magyezi, the Minister of Local Government of Uganda, acknowledged the timeliness of Dr. Dongyu’s visit amidst escalating food insecurity, climate-induced disasters, refugee pressures, and urban vulnerabilities. Uganda hosts over 1.7 million refugees and asylum-seekers, the largest refugee population in Africa, with approximately 797,000 people in refugee-hosting districts facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above).
He expressed profound gratitude for FAO’s substantial support in critical areas, including refugee support and resilience building, urban resilience under the Green Cities Initiative Food Systems Transformation, and forestry and climate resilience.
Minister Magyezi outlined key areas for expanded collaboration with FAO. He highlighted the strain imposed by the growing refugee influx, appealing for continued support in mobilizing resources for climate resilient food production hubs in refugee settlements.
He also articulated a strong commitment to women’s economic empowerment, seeking FAO’s assistance in scaling up initiatives for skilling women in climate-resilient agriculture, value addition, and market access, alongside the construction of essential rural women’s markets.
Furthermore, he emphasized the critical need for youth Skilling and employment, seeking FAO’s support in expanding climate-resilient agro-enterprises for the youthful population. Finally, he highlighted agro industrialization as a critical area for the government, warmly welcoming FAO’s support in this endeavour.
