AGRICULTURE, FOOD

SECURITY AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

By
Martha olwenyi
molwenyi@gmail.com
0772574677
 INTRODUCTION
• Agriculture is the production of crops,
livestock and other forms of agro-businesses.
• Agriculture encompasses cash crops, food
crops, livestock, forestry, fishing activities and
horticulture.
• Growth in agricultural production is
necessary not only to ensure food security
and raise nutrition levels of population, but it
is also essential for rapid economic growth
and development.

10/27/2019 2
 Introduction Cont…
• The Ugandan economy is dominated by the
agricultural sector, which accounts for 34% of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• The sector also accounts for 85% of export
earnings, 80% of employment, provides most
of the raw materials to the agro-based
industrial sector, and ensures food security.
• Being the leading sector of the Ugandan
economy, agriculture is the engine and major
source of future growth and development.

10/27/2019 3
 KEY FEATURES OF AGRIC SECTOR IN UGANDA
1. Dominance of subsistence production.
2. Dependency on few traditional cash crops.
3. Use of poor technology and family labour.
4. Dependent on Nature.
5. Seasonal variations in output and prices.
6. Limited industrialisation within the sector.
7. Relatively poor quality output.
8. Limited capacity for mass production due to
lack of enough co-operant factors like land,
capital, machinery and seeds.
9. Others
10/27/2019 4
 ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN SD

1. Provision of food to the expanding

population.
2. Important source of GDP.
3. Provides employment and income to the
population.
4. Increases market for industrial products,
hence promoting expansion of industrial
sector.
5. Supplies raw materials as input to the
industrial sector.
10/27/2019 5
 Role Cont…
6. Source of revenue and foreign exchange
earnings to governments via exports and
tourism.
7. Attracts high infrastructural development.
8. It promotes mainly the use of local resources
like land or other agricultural inputs.
9. Improves the welfare of the rural people
whose main activity is farming.
10.Forms a wider tax base due to the high
agricultural incomes, employment
opportunities and activities that are taxable.
10/27/2019 6
 AGRICULTURAL SECTOR CONSTRAINTS
1. Financial constraints- limited access to credit
or capital / agricultural subsidies.
2. Inappropriate land tenure system and land
policies.
3. Few or no effective grass-root/village-based
commercially oriented farmer organizations
capable of mobilizing the production
capacity of small agricultural producers.

10/27/2019 7
 Agricultural Sector Constraints Cont…
4. Poorly developed agricultural research
systems (poor research – user linkages).
5. Human Resource Constraints: The majority of
Ugandan farmers are unskilled and illiterate.
6. Corruption/ mismanagement of resources
for agricultural development.
7. Climate change and other natural hazards.
8. Market constraints

10/27/2019 8
 Agricultural Sector Constraints Cont…
9. Seasonal price fluctuations.
10. Limited factor inputs including land and
water.
11.Inadequate consultation and participation
of farmers in interventions and monitoring.
12.Effects of some disease like, malaria,
HIV/AIDS, which impact on skilled and
unskilled labour.

10/27/2019 9
 Agricultural Sector Constraints
Cont.…
13. Post harvest losses
14. Effects of pests and diseases, and
15. climate change.
16. Use of traditional methods of farming

• Such effects have led to decline in its

contribution to the country's GDP over time.

10/27/2019 10
 POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR DEVELOPMENT IN UGANDA

1. Land laws and policy reforms.

2. Availing loans to farmers at low interest rates
and with no collateral security.
3. Agric technology development through R&D.
4. Agricultural extension education through
demonstration farms.
5. Infrastructural development.
6. Man power for agriculture development.
10/27/2019 11
 Policy Recommendations for Agric Sector
Devt in Uganda Cont…
7. Development of produce and marketing
cooperatives.
8. Market and pricing policy for agric products.
9. Commercialization and modernising agric.
10.Diversification of farming activities.
11.Establishing value addition industries for
agro – processing at all levels.
12.Tax exemption on some critical agricultural
inputs and exports.
10/27/2019 12
 Policy Recommendations for Agric Sector
Devt in Uganda Cont…
13.Insurance policy for agricultural businesses.
14.Proper planning for agriculture sector.
15.Sufficient budget allocation to the sector.
16.Political stability/security in the economy.
17.Social transformation/cultural reforms.
18.Ensure transparency and accountability to
curb corruption.

10/27/2019 13
 FOOD SECURITY
• According to FAO, Food security exists when
all people, at all times, have physical and
economic access to enough, safe and
nutritious food to meet their dietary needs
and food preferences for an active and
healthy lifestyle.
• World Bank (1986) defines food security as
the access to enough food by all people at all
times for an active and healthy life.
10/27/2019 14
 Food Security Cont…
• However, it should be noted that much as all
these definitions of what food security look at
the availability and accessibility of food, this
access and availability needs be sustainable.
• A household or community is said to be food
secure if it can reliably gain access to food in
sufficient quantity and quality for all its
members to enjoy a healthy and active life.

10/27/2019 15
 Food Security Cont…
From the above descriptions of food security we
can say that to be food secure means that:
1. Food is available;
2. Food is accessible;
3. Food is affordable;
4. Food is adequate; and
5. Food is utilized.

10/27/2019 16
 FOOD INSECURITY
• This is a situation in which people do not
have access to sufficient and nutritious food
to meet their dietary needs to enjoy a
healthy and active life.
• Food insecurity is a critical constraint to
economic growth and sustainable
development.
• It is an immediate cause of wide spread
instability and suffering in many countries.
10/27/2019 17
 CAUSES OF FOOD INSECURITY
1. Poverty (limited incomes): Poor people lack
access to sufficient resources to produce or
buy quality food.
2. Disease and Infection: Poor health and
death due high prevalence of malaria,
tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS pandemic reduce
food production and accessibility.
3. Handicapping policies: Poor policies have
greatly affected food security in Africa.
4. Natural disasters such as floods, droughts
and pests infestation.
10/27/2019 18
 Causes of Food Insecurity Cont…
5. Absence of good governance and poor
management of resources.
6. High population growth rates, rapid
urbanisation and Rural urban migration
compared to the low food production rate.
7. Poor infrastructure (storage, power, water
and transport infrastructure).
8. Inappropriate economic policies and
strategies which are non responsive to food
insecurity situations.

10/27/2019 19
 Causes of Food Insecurity Cont…
9. Barriers to Market Access due to physical
and non physical conditions.
10.Poor technology used by farmers with
limited research to increase food production.
11.Poor food security coping strategies due to
collapse of local and national food security
systems.
12.High demand for locally produced food stuff
in the neighboring countries like Sudan and
Kenya.
10/27/2019 20
 FOOD SECURITY INTERVENTIONS FOR SD
1. Provision of food aid during emergencies.
2. Promoting gender equality in access to food
producing resources.
3. Capacity building through education,
research and technology development.
4. Prevention of diseases and infections.
5. Land reforms to provide secure land access.
6. Developing food security coping strategies.

10/27/2019 21
 Food Security Interventions Cont…
8. Conflict prevention, resolution and ensuring
political stability and good governance.
9. Agricultural modernization and
diversification of agricultural production.
10.Increasing access to finance and other food
production resources.
11.Infrastructure development.
12.Appropriate agricultural planning to cater for
the occurrence of natural disasters.
13.Creating off-farm employment opportunities.
10/27/2019 22
 CONCLUSION
• The agricultural sector plays a big role in food
security and economic development of
Uganda.
• A more holistic approach to agricultural
development is required at both policy and
structural levels to enhance its contribution
and move Uganda towards realising
Sustainable development.

10/27/2019 23