Farmers in the Kigezi and Rwenzori sub-regions have been urged to adopt sustainable farming practices, including trench digging to control soil erosion and planting grass bands along steep slopes to restore degraded lands. These practices are essential for boosting agricultural productivity and enhancing environmental conservation in these highlands.
Experts working with the Common Ground Project emphasized the importance of prioritizing the Participatory Integrated Plan (PIP) approach. They highlighted the value of crop integration method to improve food and income security at the household level. The PIP approach, which encourages community-driven solutions, is central to building resilient farming systems tailored to the specific needs of smallholder farmers.
Farmers are now encouraged to embrace these solutions for a better future as part of the Common Ground Project’s wider efforts to transform the agricultural landscape in Uganda’s highland areas. Launched in 2022 and funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, this four-year project focuses on establishing sustainable farming systems, restoring watersheds, and enhancing market opportunities across the Rwenzori, Kigezi, and Elgon regions.
Implemented by Integrated Seed and Sector Development (ISSD) and Wageningen Environmental Research, the Common Ground Project has been particularly impactful in the Kigezi sub-region. Farmers have enthusiastically adopted practices such as road maintenance, trench digging to control soil erosion, and planting grass bands along steep slopes to restore degraded lands. These efforts are not only boosting agricultural productivity but are also contributing to environmental conservation.
During the graduation week of the Participatory Integrated Plan (PIP), innovators who completed the 3-week training as part of the Common Ground Project marked the end of the first ever PIP competition.
Farmers revealed that the PIP approach empowers them to develop resilient farming systems tailored to their specific needs. They further explained that the PIP approach involves vision building and action planning at the household level, ensuring that solutions are community-driven.
According to Akandinda Rugogamu, a community development expert with the Common Ground project, their work focuses on empowering smallholder farmers with skills and knowledge, aiming for poverty eradication and environmental protection. She highlighted that this was the first PIP competition and reflected on the significance of household-level planning.
Farmer-to-farmer knowledge transfer has also been integral, with communities now scaling out sustainable land and farm management practices. Akandinda further revealed that 266 farmers from across the Kigezi Sub-Region were selected and awarded certificates of completion. These farmers will now serve as PIP trainers, helping to spread sustainable practices across the region.
While officiating at the graduation ceremony in Nangaro, Hamurwa Town Council, Mayor Teddy Tumwesigye noted that the project is assisting the government in educating farmers and locals on sustainable farming practices. She admitted that the community initially resisted the project, but after seeing the benefits of active participation, they are now embracing it. However, she also acknowledged that drought remains a significant challenge.
The Kigezi highlands stand as a testament to the power of community-driven solutions in transforming lives and landscapes.
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