By
Dennis Wanyoro
The East and Southern Africa Small-Scale Farmers Forum (ESSAFF) has urged the Ugandan government to address critical policy gaps to promote climate justice, agroecology, and peasant rights. Speaking at the launch of the 2024 report on policy gaps, barriers, and opportunities for climate justice and agroecology at Hotel Africana on Monday, the report highlighted Uganda’s minimal contribution to global climate change but underscored the need for equitable burden-sharing in combating its effects.
It stressed that climate justice should focus on equality, human rights, and collective responsibility. Andrew Adem, ESSAFF’s head of communication, noted that environmental degradation and ecosystem destruction exacerbate climate injustice. “The national climate change policy goal is to ensure a harmonised and coordinated approach towards a climate-resilient and low-carbon development path for sustainable development in Uganda. It also emphasises the importance of timely dissemination of climate information, particularly reliable meteorological data, to assist citizens in their agricultural planning. However, these efforts have been ignored,” said Adem.
ESSAFF board chairperson Hakim Baliraine highlighted the country’s vulnerability to extreme weather events like mudslides and floods, particularly in mountainous regions such as Mbale, Bulambuli, Bududa, and Kasese. “Over the past two decades, on average 200 Ugandans have been affected each year. The increased intensity of heavy rains has led to greater impact from floods and caused more damage due to expanded infrastructure, human settlement, and general development in the country,” said Baliraine.
The report revealed that urbanization exacerbates these challenges. Urban populations are projected to grow from 9.9 million in 2017 to 31.5 million by 2040, further straining infrastructure and natural resources. Professor Diana Nambatya, an agroecology expert, warned about the unchecked exploitation of forests, lakes, and farmland due to industrial and economic expansion.
He explained that this has led to deforestation, pollution, and unsustainable water use. According to Professor Nambatya, flooding presents the largest risk. “Flooding presents the largest risk according to Kampala flood mapping technical report (World Bank 2018). The report indicates over 170,000 residents are regularly affected by floods, and an average cost of building damages caused by floods in Kampala is close to US £50 million.”
During the launch, several recommendations were made to the government. ESSAFF emphasized the need to strengthen investment regulations and protocols in the National Climate Change Policy to ensure effective environmental protection. Additionally, they proposed passing a law to regulate land fragmentation across the country.
The report also called on the government to integrate the agroecology curriculum into agricultural training programs as a guiding framework for extension workers and practitioners. According to the report, integrating agroecology education would serve as a mitigation strategy for climate change, equipping professionals with the knowledge needed to implement sustainable agricultural practices in line with national climate goals.
ESSAFF further urged the government to restore and protect peasant initiatives, such as community seed banks and cooperatives, to promote farmer-managed seed systems. These systems, they stressed, should be incorporated into the National Seed Policy to enhance seed sovereignty and agricultural resilience.
They also highlighted the importance of subsidizing organic certification processes for small-scale farmers. ESSAFF stated that financial support for certification would ease the burden on farmers, foster greater participation in organic farming, and promote inclusive and healthy food systems.