Technologies for intensification in SW Uganda ... - Foodnet - cgiar

1. Introduction
1.1 Background
USAID – Uganda has recently developed a six-year integrated strategic plan (ISP 2002-2007). A
key ingredient of this plan (USAID, 2001) is the economic growth and environment-oriented
strategic objective 7 (SO7): “Expanded sustainable economic opportunities for rural sector
growth”. It intends to support the people of Uganda to develop more effective and
environmentally sound land use systems to reverse the country’s long-term decline in
environmental quality and agricultural productivity.
To help inform its strategy, USAID requested the International Food Policy Research Institute
(IFPRI) to prepare a strategic framework for rural land-use in Uganda. IFPRI’s approach to
assessing strategic land use options for Uganda involves answering seven clusters of questions in
sequence (Bolwig et al, 2001):
(1) What are the best land use options at different locations from the ‘private’ perspective of
farmers and communities?
IFPRI characterized development pathways on the basis of combinations of
population density, agroecological conditions and access to markets. Among others,
results show that primary areas for agricultural intensification are located in
southwestern Uganda and in a west to eastward widening band around Lake Victoria,
while agricultural expansion is likely to occur in the north.
This study attempts to analyze components of this strategy, such as suitable
agricultural technologies and associated management options for agricultural
intensification in various areas of southwestern Uganda.
(2) What are the implications of these privately driven land uses for agricultural production
and income within the adopting regions and for sector-wide production, trade and
income, food prices and food consumption?
Using its DREAM model, IFPRI will estimate the sector-wide impact of alternative
land use strategies. This will be useful for priority setting among investment options.
This study evaluated various agricultural technologies and their impact on income /
welfare, productivity and environment. This detailed information could further finetune
information from the DREAM model.
(3) How might the privately driven land uses conflict with broader environmental goals of
the country and can “hot spot” areas with high potential for conflict between private and
environmental goals be identified?
Overlaying maps of best private land-use options with maps of environmentallydesired
ones, IFPRI identified potential “hot spots” as those with high potential of
conflict between land-use and environmentally important areas.
Information from this study provides a detailed analysis about technologies and their
environmental impacts under various management options and in various agroecological
zones.
(4) What kinds of policies and interventions could avoid such potential conflicts?
In phase II of its work, IFPRI will analyze ways of changing incentive structures so as
to promote sustainable development pathways without jeopardizing local livelihoods.