The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ugandan government have called for more practical, accessible and inclusive agricultural innovations that reach farmers and strengthen food security for current and future generations.
The call was made during Uganda’s national World Food Day celebrations at the Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MBAZARDI), which also marked 100 years since the institution began as a stock farm in 1926.
Martin Ameu, FAO Assistant Representative for Programmes, speaking on behalf of FAO Country Representative Ezana Kassa, said decisions made today would shape the solutions available to future generations of farmers and consumers.
“Access must be part of how we define innovation.Solutions must be affordable, practical and suited to farmers’ conditions, and they must move from research institutions and demonstration plots into farmers’ fields," Ameu said.
He challenged innovators to develop solutions that enable farmers to earn better incomes while protecting soil and water resources, reduce post-harvest losses and create meaningful agricultural opportunities for young people and vulnerable women.
Ameu added that agricultural innovation should help reduce food loss, improve food safety, promote efficient water use and restore soils and pastures. It should also provide timely weather information, support the early detection of animal diseases and improve access to market information.
The Minister of Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze, said Uganda’s World Food Day commemoration would continue to be held every October 16, describing the event as a platform where science meets farmers rather than simply a day of speeches.
He proposed that districts organise agricultural exhibitions before or after the national celebration to demonstrate the entire value chain, “from the seed to the final product”.
Tumwebaze said World Food Day should provide an opportunity for agricultural research institutions to demonstrate the practical value of their work. This year’s contribution included three new purple-fleshed sweet potato varieties, which he said are rich in antioxidants that may help reduce cancer risk.
He urged scientists to continue developing crop varieties that improve nutrition and called on the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) to explore speciality caffeine-free teas, including chamomile and peppermint.
The minister also challenged researchers to prioritise applied research that addresses farmers’ challenges and improves livelihoods rather than studies that end with academic qualifications.
“Research that serves livelihood value, not just academic value, is what the country needs,” he said.
Tumwebaze observed that MBAZARDI’s history, dating back to 1926, demonstrated the enduring importance of food and agriculture. He cited the President’s view that technology can improve production, but nothing can replace food.
Minister Tumwebaze called for a balance among four agricultural priorities: food security crops such as cassava, potatoes, millet and bananas; income-generating crops such as coffee and cocoa; animal feed production; and environmental protection.
He cautioned against excessive concentration on a single crop at the expense of other essential needs.
“Overemphasising one crop is unwise. Can a person wake up and feed on coffee?” he asked.
According to Tumwebaze, Uganda has approximately 40 million acres of arable land, of which fewer than two million acres are currently under production. He urged agricultural extension workers to mobilise farmers to make greater use of available land.
He said increased production in areas with favourable agricultural conditions could help supply regions that struggle to produce enough food, including Karamoja.
The minister announced that the President had directed the government to plan for the large-scale use of available water resources for irrigation, with the Ministries of Agriculture and Water working together.
He said the planned interventions would cover five areas, including supporting farmers who already have dams to integrate irrigation into their farming systems and promoting water harvesting from streams and rivers.
Existing irrigation schemes will also be assessed, with underperforming schemes targeted for rehabilitation and others considered for expansion, he said.
The minister noted that irrigated land accounts for less than two per cent of Uganda’s farmland, partly because reliable rainfall had previously made irrigation a lower priority than sectors such as education and security.
However, changing rainfall patterns have made irrigation, scientific approaches and precision farming increasingly important for reliable agricultural production.
World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director, Emmanuel Rutasiba highlighted the growing food security challenges facing vulnerable communities.
He said an assessment in Karamoja found that about two-thirds of households were food insecure, while food prices were 50 to 100 per cent higher than a year earlier.
Rutasiba also noted that WFP assistance to refugees had declined from 1.6 million people to 784,000 because of funding shortfalls, despite Uganda hosting Africa’s largest refugee operation.
He added that one in four children was undernourished and that WFP’s nutrition interventions reached 250,000 children and mothers in the previous year.
Rutasiba cited an example of anticipatory action in May, when cash assistance reached households before the worst of the season, guided by forecasts from the national meteorological authority.
According to information from WFP, the agency purchased about 900 metric tonnes of food from smallholder farmers in 2025. It also worked with 76,000 farmers, 67 per cent of them women, to reduce post-harvest losses.
Rutasiba highlighted three key lessons from these interventions: the importance of acting early, ensuring that innovation includes women, and combining new technologies with indigenous knowledge.
He noted that women account for 73 per cent of the farmers WFP works with but continue to face significant barriers to accessing land, credit and water.