With support from GIZ EAC through the IIDEA Project, ESAFF Uganda developed the KilimoMart Application, an online market platform for small-scale farmers to directly sell their organic products to consumers in the East African Community (EAC).

In this podcast, a small-scale farmer from Gulu district, Uganda shares her experience on using the KilimoMart Application to reach consumers in the EAC and on the opportunity to interact with other citizens in the Community.

Download the Application from Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de...​

Shop using the web-based application: https://kilimomart.com​

Read more about ESAFF Uganda: https://esaffuganda.org

KilimoMart Application: A small-scale farmer shares her experience

In this podcast, small-scale farmers looked at the main causes of land degradation in Uganda highlighting the human activities that lead to land degradation. In this podcast, small-scale farmers discussed the impacts of desertification and drought in their farming communities and how it affects their production and livelihood. The podcast also talks about the actions that can be taken to combat desertification and drought in Uganda specifically looking at actions by the government and the citizens.

This podcast was in commemoration of world day to combat desertification and drought 2021. Participants include the Chairperson ESAFF Uganda (Mr. Hakim Baliraine), Chairperson ESAFF Mityana (Ms. Christine Nabwami) and Chairperson ESAFF Kasese (Ms. Beatrice Pangani)

Small-scale farmers' discussion on Desertification and Drought Day

In this podcast, Olivia Muwanga, a small-scale organic farmer from Masaka district who is passionate about Organic Agriculture and has been practising organic agriculture for over 10 years shares how she started practising Organic Agriculture and how she uses organic agriculture practices to control pests and diseases. 

She further explains to us the benefits of organic agriculture to the environment and human health. She called upon the Government to upscale organic farming and urged small scale farmers.

This Podcast was produced by ESAFF Uganda with financial support from SDC and BVaT. ESAFF Uganda owns the views expressed in this Podcast.

Examining Organic Agriculture Practices in Uganda - A case from Masaka district.

The people of East Africa are largely small scale farmers with a significant role in food production and the agriculture sector, which is a priority policy objective of the East African Community (EAC). Before the impact of the desert locust on the sector could be assessed, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. With more than 130 cases and still counting of COVID-19 in the region, the entire East African regional governments have tightened borders, quarantines, restricted gatherings yet small scale farmers operate in groups. Currently, there is a lot of fear among small-scale farmers and most of them are staying away from their gardens in this planting season. With a further focus on women, more than 65% of food produced in the region is by rural small scale women farmers while men are more involved in labour off the farm. Women small scale farmers are also often responsible for the care of children, the sick and elderly. This means they might have increased exposure to COVID-19 with knock-on implications for food production, food preparation and child nutrition.

More still, the EAC has a youthful population, but most youths are in urban areas because they are less interested in agriculture. This has left further burden for women and the older farming population that could be more vulnerable to COVID-19. Fortunately, many EAC governments have shared crucial preventative measures through media that would contribute to the slowing down of the spread and impact.

On that note, ESAFF Uganda together with other ESAFF members, friends and partners in EAC found it needed to have small-scale farmer leaders in the region and key strategic partners discuss the possible impact of the COVID-19 to small-scale farming, food security and sovereignty as well as develop actionable strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19 on food security and sovereignty in the region.

Impact of the COVID-19 on small-scale farming, food security and sovereignty in the EAC

ESAFF Uganda in partnership with Kenya Small Scale Farmers’ Forum with support from IIDEA GIZ has developed KilimoMart App and website with the objectives of;
1) Building market linkages for organic products between small scale farmers and consumers.
2) Empowering small-scale farmers in Kenya and Uganda (and the EAC region) to explore and utilize the current agriculture trade prospects in the region.
3) Strengthening inclusive small-scale farmers’ online engagement with different stakeholders in the EAC region to promote regional integration.

KilimoMart gives small scale farmers in EAC the opportunity to access information like market information, farming practices and techniques, weather information, laws and policies including East African Community (EAC) updates.

The online launch took place on 5th May 2020 at 02:30 EAT.

Online launch of the KilimoMart Application

This Account is for Eastern and Southern Africa Small-scale Farmers' Forum (ESAFF) Uganda. The biggest small-scale farmer-led advocacy movement in Uganda.

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