The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, has called for greater integration of science, research and innovation into farming to strengthen food security, improve farmers’ incomes and promote environmental sustainability.
Tumwebaze made the remarks while presiding as Guest of Honour at Uganda’s national celebrations for World Food Day 2026, held at the Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MBAZARDI) under the theme, “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.”
The four-day event was organised by the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), in collaboration with development partners, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
More than 3,000 stakeholders gathered at MBAZARDI to explore agricultural innovations, including digital technologies, artificial intelligence and climate-smart farming solutions aimed at improving productivity and strengthening resilience to climate-related challenges.
Addressing participants, Tumwebaze emphasised the need to balance the different priorities of agriculture, including food security, income generation, animal feed production and environmental protection.
“We need to balance between the four pillars of farming — food security farming, income-generating crops, animal feed security crops and environmental security. Research and science come in to balance enablers such as knowledge, tools and innovations,” he said.
The minister added that World Food Day provides a platform for researchers, innovators and farmers to interact, enabling scientific knowledge and new technologies to be translated into practical solutions for farming communities.
He congratulated MBAZARDI on reaching its centenary, marking 100 years of agricultural research and development from 1926 to 2026, and commended partners for their contribution to advancing Uganda’s agricultural sector.
WFP Warns of Climate Risks to Food Security
Emmanuel Rustinda, WFP Head of the South West Region, who represented the organisation’s Country Director, Wanja Kaaria-Ndoh, highlighted the risks climate-related shocks pose to food security and nutrition.
Rustinda said the 2026 commemoration coincides with expectations of an El Niño climate event between October and December, warning that its potential effects could undermine progress made in reducing hunger and malnutrition.
“This year’s commemoration coincides with the global El Niño that is rolling back hard-won gains against hunger and malnutrition. The El Niño is expected between October and December 2026. It makes today’s theme more than a slogan. Innovation now is the difference between holding these gains and losing them,” he said.
He noted that innovation must be accompanied by practical measures that help communities prepare for and respond to climate-related risks.
“With Government in the lead, innovation is critical in addressing today’s challenges. As WFP, we are scaling early action through anticipatory action. We have to pair the new with the unknown — indigenous crops, local varieties and the knowledge within the pastoral communities already hold important assets,” Rustinda said.
He also congratulated MBAZARDI on its centenary and reaffirmed WFP’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 2, which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Rustinda also drew attention to the persistent problem of food losses between harvest and the market, noting that substantial quantities of food are lost despite continued production.
He estimated that between 30 and 40 per cent of food is lost during this stage, largely because of inadequate handling and storage facilities.
The losses, he said, highlight the need to strengthen post-harvest management systems alongside efforts to increase agricultural production.
WFP is also working to strengthen market linkages among farmers, agro-dealers and private-sector partners to improve access to markets and support farmers’ livelihoods.
In addition, the organisation is collaborating with the Office of the Prime Minister to support refugees and host communities in producing food on shared land, an initiative aimed at improving food access and supporting livelihoods.
The World Food Day celebrations provided an opportunity for government agencies, researchers, farmers and development partners to discuss how science, technology and local knowledge can contribute to a more productive, resilient and sustainable agricultural sector in Uganda.