Invest in agricultural innovation for a sustainable future in Uganda

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OPINION

By Mercy Akankunda

In Northern Uganda, where the scars of conflict and years of neglect still shape daily life, farming is not just an occupation; it is the floor on which families stand or fall. Small plots of maize, sorghum, cassava and groundnuts feed households, but too often those crops do not turn into steady incomes, reliable school fees, or nutritious meals all year round. That can change, and the path out of poverty runs straight through agricultural innovation.

Agriculture already powers Uganda’s economy and employs most people, but that strength is not yet reaching many rural families. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, agriculture contributes approximately 24% of the country’s GDP and employs nearly 72% of the workforce, making it the backbone of Uganda’s economy. However, this agricultural dominance has not translated into widespread prosperity. Based on recent national household survey data, poverty has declined from 21.4% in 2016/17 to 18.7% in 2019/20, yet rural areas, particularly in Northern Uganda, continue to bear the brunt of poverty and food insecurity.

These regions remain disproportionately vulnerable, with limited access to markets, infrastructure, and agricultural support services. A key reason is inefficiency along the whole food chain. Farmers in Northern Uganda are overwhelmingly smallholders, the backbone of the nation’s food system and most rely on rain-fed plots, family labour, and traditional practices. Across Uganda, studies show that the vast majority of farms are smallholder operations; in some regions, the share reaches well over 80 per cent. Those small farms are productive in potential, but vulnerable in practice.

Losses after harvest and poor storage are another brutal reality. Food that could feed families or be sold to fund healthcare and education is frequently lost to pests, moisture and mould. International programmes working in Uganda estimate these post-harvest losses at around a third of production in many parts of the country, a loss that translates directly into lost income and more hunger. Reducing those losses is one of the fastest ways to increase household food availability without planting a single extra acre.

The human cost shows up in health and nutrition. Nearly one in five Ugandans was estimated to be undernourished as recently as the early 2020s, and chronic child stunting remains a stubborn challenge in many districts. This is not only a moral crisis, it is an economic one: malnutrition reduces children’s ability to learn and adults’ ability to work, locking communities into cycles of low productivity and poverty.  

So where does innovation fit in? The breakthrough is simple: practical, affordable, locally-adapted technologies and systems that squeeze more value out of the same land, time and effort. Innovation does not mean expensive gadgets on their own; it means a mix of better inputs, smarter practices, and stronger market links that together turn subsistence plots into sustainable businesses.

First, climate-smart agronomy and resilient seed varieties can stabilise yields. Drought-tolerant and early-maturing varieties of sorghum, millet and maize reduce the risk of crop failure during dry spells. Simple soil-restoration practices mulching, composting and intercropping, rebuild fertility and increase resilience. When farmers can predictably harvest more, their options widen: store, sell, or process for added value.

Second, tackling post-harvest loss delivers quick wins. Hermetic storage bags, community granaries, and affordable solar dryers extend shelf life and prevent the pests and fungi that rob families of their food and income. In practical terms, a household that loses 30% of its harvest but then adopts better storage can see the equivalent of a one-third production increase without planting more seed. That is literal extra food on the table and extra cash in hand.

Third, mechanisation at the right scale saves time and opens markets. Small-scale planters, shellers and threshers designed for smallholders reduce drudgery, increase the timeliness of planting and harvesting, and improve grain quality. That last part matters: better quality produce fetches higher prices and attracts buyers beyond the local market.

Fourth, digital and financial innovations link farmers to information and buyers. Mobile weather alerts, simple advisory voice services in local languages, and digital marketplaces allow farmers to time planting, reduce risk, and find better prices. Paired with microcredit or inventory credit schemes that let farmers sell later when prices are higher, these tools transform a single harvest into a chain of earning opportunities.

Finally, value addition and aggregation magnify impact. When farmers work in producer groups to process cassava into flour, roast groundnuts into shelf-stable products, or make fortified porridge blends for children, the resulting goods earn more at market and create jobs, particularly for women and youth. Aggregation pooling harvests through cooperatives reduces transaction costs and gives smallholders bargaining power with buyers.

None of this is hypothetical. Pilot projects and grassroots entrepreneurs across Uganda and in parts of the North are already demonstrating change: youth-led startups producing solar dryers; women’s cooperatives running small oil presses and peanut butter brands; farmers using hermetic bags and keeping harvests for better prices. Yet scaling these successes requires concerted support: public investment in rural roads, reliable electricity for agro-processing, extension services that reach women and young farmers, and incentives for private firms to invest in rural supply chains.

Policymakers and donors should prioritise three practical shifts. Invest in extension and training that reach smallholders where they are, with hands-on demonstrations and farmer field schools. Subsidise or finance access to the tools that reduce losses and raise quality from storage bags to small machines. And create market-enabling conditions: improved infrastructure, aggregation support, and stable procurement for local processors and schools.

Northern Uganda’s road from survival to sustainability is within reach. Innovation here is not only about technology; it’s about redesigning the whole agricultural system so that family farms capture more of the value they create. When that happens, harvests do more than feed households; they finance schools, fund clinics, and seed small businesses. That is how agriculture can finally deliver on its promise: lifting people out of poverty and ending hunger in a region that has worked so hard to survive. The challenge is urgent, the tools are ready, and the gains would echo for generations.

The writer is with Proven Foundation