Various partners affirm that farmers can adapt to an unpredictable climate through Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies, offering a vital lifeline to Uganda’s smallholder farmers facing erratic weather, floods, and droughts. Insights from stakeholder engagements highlight that their collective efforts strongly signal a resounding ‘yes’ to the question of whether farmers can adapt underscoring collaboration and innovation as the driving forces to ensure farmers not only survive but also thrive amid climate change.
Adapting to an unpredictable climate
For smallholder farmers, who typically cultivate just enough land to support their households, climate change poses a significant threat. During an interview Joshua Okonya, the programme officer, technology and innovation at ASARECA, emphasised that while natural disasters like floods cannot be prevented, farmers can adapt. “You cannot stop the floods or God from coming, but they will be able to manipulate the environment and be able to survive, not only to survive, but to thrive,” he said.
Through initiatives like the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project, ASARECA is working with farmers in adopting CSA practices, focusing on soil health, water conservation, and increasing crop productivity. For instance, promoting drought tolerant maize varieties like Narrow Bin 6 in districts ensures high-yielding, early maturing crops suited to local conditions, boosting adoption and resilience. Beatrice N. Luzobe, Chief Executive Officer of UFAAS, highlighted practical CSA successes. During a recent visit to Zimbabwe, she observed farmers using improved pasture management, planting forage in pits enriched with manure and recycled water.
“The whole of Zimbabwe was dry, but in these places, it was like it had been raining all the time,” she noted. These practices allow farmers to produce during harsh dry seasons, helping them withstand climate shocks like droughts. Luzobe stressed that CSA equips farmers to sustain agriculture year-round, enabling them to adapt to and overcome environmental challenges. ‘The farmers need to be able to sustain their agriculture in and out of season, given any other shock, they will be able to do it’ she added
Collaboration as the Cornerstone of Change
This engagement underscored the power of collaboration in scaling CSA technologies. Okonya noted the enthusiasm of diverse partners government institutions, research organizations like the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), NGOs, private companies, youth, women’s organizations, and universities uniting to combat climate change. “We cannot beat climate change when we work alone,” he said. By pooling limited resources, including funds and technical expertise, these groups aim to deliver effective solutions to farmers. The agreement to work together marks a significant step, likened by Okonya to “going to our league now,” ensuring a unified approach to promoting proven technologies. Daisy Atukunda, Government Relations Lead at One Acre Fund, emphasized the need to make innovations accessible to the smallholder farmers who feed the nation.
“It’s one thing to be innovative, but it’s another for your technology to be applicable,” she said. Operating in regions like Jinja, Mukono, and Mubende, One Acre Fund focuses on soil health, erosion control, and water retention, while distributing over 2.1 million trees for agroforestry since 2021. Their work with high-value crops like macadamia and coffee further boosts farmers’ incomes. Atukunda highlighted new partnerships formed during the event, such as with a tomato factory seeking supply, which could enable their 46,000 farmers to access new markets by growing crops in previously unsuitable areas.
A Vision for a Resilient Future
CSA technologies promise more than survival they offer a path to prosperity. Okonya stressed that farmers are investors seeking a return on investment. By promoting verified technologies, stakeholders ensure farmers increase productivity and secure surplus income to support healthier families and better soils.
Atukunda’s team is exploring follow-up partnerships to bring innovations like irrigation systems and fertilizer blends to farmers, ensuring practicality and impact. Luzobe believes that if farmers embrace these practices, climate change could cease to be an insurmountable problem.
“Humans learn how to survive,” she said, noting that adversity drives adoption of resilient practices. With various partners and farmer groups uniting under initiatives like AICCRA, the question remains: can the widespread adoption of CSA technologies secure the future of farming? The answer lies in continued collaboration, ensuring that innovations reach smallholder farmers’ fields, empowering them to feed their communities and the nation, no matter the climate challenges ahead.
Joint Collaboration
Through initiatives like the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project, ASARECA is working with farmers in adopting CSA practices, focusing on soil health, water conservation, and increasing crop productivity.
For instance, promoting drought tolerant maize varieties like Narrow Bin 6 in districts ensures high-yielding, early maturing crops suited to local conditions, boosting adoption and resilience.