TRENDS AND IMPACTS OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRY AGRICULTURE

UGANDA
Trends and impacts of foreign investment in
developing country agriculture
sector and the National Fisheries Policy, which
have been summarized in Table 2.
Uganda is a signatory to the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture, commonly known as the International
Seed Treaty. This treaty aims at guaranteeing
food security through the conservation, exchange
and sustainable use of the world’s plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture. Some of
the issues that have made member countries
raise concerns about the treaty include: 1) the
extent to which farmers and communities will be
allowed to freely use, exchange, sell and breed
the seeds; and 2) what enforcement procedures
will be used by national governments to ensure
that principles of farmers’ rights are respected.
Some critics of the treaty state that its provisions
are either still unresolved, or even open to
interpretation.
128
TABLE 2
Summary of Uganda’s international obligations for the fishing sector
Name of obligation Details/objectives
The Convention on Biological Diversity Objective is to develop national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and
sustainable use of biological diversity.
The Treaty for the Establishment of
the East African Community
Source: Uganda Investment Authority (UIA)
Objectives:
To jointly and efficiently manage the natural resources within the community
To adopt common regulations for the protection of shared aquatic and terrestrial
resources.
The Ramsar Convention Signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971.
The main objective is to provide the framework for national action and international
cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species
Technical Corporation for the
Promotion of the Development and
Environmental Protection of the Nile
Basin (Tecconile) 1992
Convention for the Establishment of
the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization
1994
The FAO Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries 1995
Regulates the international wildlife trade worth billions of dollars annually.
The signatory countries act by banning commercial international trade in an agreed
list of endangered species and by regulating and monitoring trade in others that
might become endangered.
Established by the Ministers of Water Affairs in the Nile Basin. There are ten signatory
countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya,
Rwanda, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda
Main objective is to provide for cooperation in the sustainable development,
conservation and joint use of the River Nile’s waters.
Adopted by Kenya, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania.
Objectives of the convention are to foster cooperation among the parties; harmonize
national measures for the sustainable utilization of the living resources of Lake
Victoria; and to develop and adopt conservation and management measures.
Adopted at the 28th Session of the FAO Conference in October 1995.
Provides principles and standards applicable to the conservation, management and
development of fisheries.
Covers the capture, processing and trade in fish and fish products, fishing operations,
aquaculture and fisheries research.
4. Investments by
transnational corporations
in the agricultural sector
According to UNCTAD, a transnational
corporation (TNC) is generally regarded as an
enterprise comprising entities in more than
one country, which operate under a system of
decision-making that permits coherent policies
and a common strategy. The entities are so linked,
by ownership or otherwise, that one or more
of them may be able to exercise a significant
influence over the others and, in particular, to
share knowledge, resources and responsibilities
with the others. 5 According to data from the
Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 168 enterprises
5 http://www.unctad.org