The theme of this year’s World Food Day is “Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind.” It highlights the importance of water in ensuring food security and calls for water action for food by all stakeholders.
As a company working in the agriculture sector, we recognize the dire need for water in production. The majority of farming communities in Uganda depend on direct rain in the season as the source of water for production, followed by wetlands (21%) and streams (14%). Access to water for production is critical.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, (UNFAO), more than 70% of people in Uganda work in agriculture. The country has more than three and a half million family farms, and many of its smallholders are among the poorest people in the world.
''Underpinning the food we eat, is agriculture, which accounts for at least 23% of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP with about 40% of the workforce engaged in the sector.'' H.E John Kufuor, Former President of Ghana.
Smallholder farmers are the backbone of food security and nutrition in many countries around the world. They produce more than 80% of the food consumed in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and support the livelihoods of more than 2 billion people. They are also the custodians of biodiversity, as they cultivate a variety of crops and livestock that are adapted to local conditions and resilient to climate change.
However, smallholder farmers face many challenges that limit their productivity, profitability, and sustainability. They often lack access to quality inputs, credit, markets, extension services, and infrastructure. Their farms and crops are also vulnerable to pests, diseases, droughts, floods, and conflicts including the impacts of climate change.
To address these challenges and unleash the potential of smallholder farmers, especially women, we need to adopt a holistic and inclusive approach that recognizes their diversity and specific needs. We need to invest in improving their access to resources, services, technologies, and markets. We need to promote sustainable agricultural practices that enhance soil health, water conservation, and climate resilience. We need to support their organizations and cooperatives that enable them to have a collective voice and bargaining power.
