The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in collaboration with the Kingdom of Netherlands, has initiated a partnership with Kabale District to establish a digital information and surveillance observatory system.
This initiative aims to enhance food and nutrition security, as well as the income livelihoods of subsistence farmers in the area. The 12-month pilot project will also be implemented in Nakasongola and Kiryandongo districts. As part of the project, sub-county agriculture extension workers will receive computers, tablets, and smartphones to compile data while interacting with farmers.
This data will be accessed on a digital platform by agriculture stakeholders to gain insights into the experiences of farmers each season. During the launch on Thursday, Jean-Marie Byakweli, the Policy Officer at FAO in Uganda, explained that the project was conceived following the United Nations (UN) National Food System Dialogues in 2021.
These dialogues aimed to support the agro-food system transformation agenda, but the lack of data made it challenging to justify key issues raised.
Beda Mwebesa, the District Production and Marketing Officer, noted that this project would improve nutrition for better health, the environment, and the livelihoods of people in the district. However, Glorious Katushabe, an agriculture extension worker attached to Kitumba Sub County, expressed concerns that poor network connectivity in the area could affect the implementation of the project.
