Diversification in East and Southern Africa
In 2023, Ukama Ustawi’s (UU) activities in Uganda were centered around significant engagements to advance agricultural policy and support agribusinesses. UU hosted a policy side-event at the ASARECA Agriculture Ministerial Conference (AAMC), in collaboration with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). The event aimed to address the challenges of harmonizing agricultural policymaking at the regional level across East and Central Africa. Additionally, UU focused on empowering women in agriculture by accelerating two women-founded and led agribusinesses, providing them with support under the Nutrition Innovation theme, thereby promoting gender equity and innovative approaches in the sector.
UU has ambitious plans for Uganda in 2024, centered around bolstering the capabilities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through targeted and thoughtful interventions. The second cohort of the CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator (CFSA) will take a multifaceted approach to support and enhance SMEs in the agricultural sector. UU is committed to maintaining strong partnerships that provide essential technical support. A customized matchmaking system will be implemented, tailored to the specific needs, geographic location, sector, and size of the SMEs in the cohort, to ensure successful and beneficial partnerships. A demand-driven Technical Assistance (TA) facility will be setup to aid enterprises that are part of the CFSA, managed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), to ensure selected enterprises receive the support necessary to thrive. In addition to these hands-on initiatives, knowledge dissemination will be carried out by developing more publications that will contribute to the broader understanding and advancement of agricultural practices in Uganda.
Partnerships
- International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
- The Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA)
- The Rallying Cry
- 2SCALE