FAO to help farmers acquire land titles for food production

FARMERS|FAO|LAND TITLES

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and PELUM Uganda are set to help smallholder farmers acquire land titles for sustainable food production in the country.

According to FAO and stakeholders, most farmers especially those on customary land, have failed to get access to capital from financial institutions, due to lack of security such as land titles, to boost their agricultural ventures.

"We want to ensure that people that have been occupying land for centuries, without land titles, have land titles. In several communities, you find that some have been occupying land for centuries but don't have titles, the land is not theirs, this kind of limits in terms of access to financing if you want to transform," Antonio Querido, the FAO country representative said.

He made the remarks, during celebrations to mark 25 years of PELUM -Uganda, which works to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and the sustainability of rural communities, through fostering ecological land use management.

Querido noted that FAO and Partners like PELUM Uganda are working hand in hand with the government to ensure that smallholder farmers occupying customary land are recognized as landowners.

"When you enter into agriculture, one of the things the banks ask is, is land yours, if you say yes, they say you show me the papers, so we are working with government to ensure that they are recognized," Querido stated.

He noted that land tenure is very critical for sustainable food production and security for a country like Uganda whose land is fertile.

On her part, Stella Lutalo, the Country Coordinator PELUM Uganda said they are in talks with the government to ensure the acquisition of land certificates by farmers occupying customary land.

As part of the campaign on land rights and use, Lutalo said PELUM wants to ensure that farmers have certificates for security over their land.

"There should be registration of their land especially the ones on customary land so that they can acquire a certificate of customary ownership to have more security over the land. That is what we are doing around land use," Lutalo explained.

Agroecology 

Lutalo implored Uganda and the East African region at large, to embrace agroecology way of farming, a new farming system that promotes the use of organic materials such as animal manure, plant residues, digging up water channels in farms, integrating trees, and minimal use of agrochemicals in farming.

She noted that for sustainable food production, there is a need to adapt farming systems that are friendly to the ecosystem.

"In the last 25 years we have achieved a lot such advancing agroecology, advancing farming systems that are in harmony with nature to ensure that we don't cause any harm to the ecosystems so that we can have sustainable food systems," Lutalo said.

The agricultural experts, to address the effect of climate change, Uganda and Africa at large need to embrace agroecology system.

MP Francis Gonahasa (Kabweri county), a member of the Parliamentary committee on agriculture said Uganda is losing certain food crops because of lack of biodiversity.  

"We are losing crops because we are not maintaining biodiversity, the countries that are maintaining biodiversity are proud of their foods. We are more proud of chicken and chips, we should be proud of foods like yams, we should promote these things and make sure our children get the benefits of these crops," MP Gonahasa said during celebrations to mark 25 years of PELUM Uganda, at silver springs Hotel in Kampala.

The Chairperson of Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers's Forum (ESAFF), Hakim Baliraine said Uganda's agricultural sector, is vital for the development of Uganda.

He added that; "it is a significant economic activity for over 64% of the households in Uganda."

Food fair 

During, the event, farmers from across the country, exhibited food crops and food storage facilities as part of activities to mark 25 years of PELUM Uganda.

The annual indigenous/traditional food and seed fair saw smallholder farmers showcase agriculture biodiversity from different regions of the country.

At the event, food experts called for improved food and seed storage facilities to avoid contamination.  

"We have to make sure the seeds are secured well. There has to be easy access to seeds by farmers so that they don't sit and wait for the government to deliver the seeds," Lutalo said.

The event which attracted different farmers from different regions of the country was coordinated by PELUM Uganda in partnership with Trocaire, Bread for the World, Oxfam, Ecological Organic Agriculture initiative, and Swedish Society for Nature conservation.

As part of the celebrations, the farmers have pledged to plant 2.5m trees across the country, to prevent climate change.