Promoting food security of low- Income women in Central Uganda

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Encouraging North - South University Collaboration

Promoting food security of low-

Income women in Central Uganda

Ransom Nambuanyi Lekunze, Associate Prof

Metroplitan Univeristy Copenhagen, Denmark

Context of Research

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Existing research framework collaboration between the Metropolitan University College (MUC) Denmark; Makerere University (MU) Uganda; and Community Health and Information Network (CHAIN) of Uganda.

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Two phases:

1. pilot phase, WP1) Literature review and secondary data analysis - accomplished, WP2) primary data collection, analysis and co-publication is ongoing. The specific

objectives and activities for this grant concerns Work Package 2 (WP2). Activities for WP

University College of Denmark.

• Activities for this grant will include:



Visiting professorship;



research collaborations;



graduate student supervision;



graduate seminars and workshops;



co-publications with African scholars.



determine interventions with the community based on the research findings.

Intro and Context:

Hunger and Food Insecurity

 800 million people are

undernourished globally

 780 million in sub-Saharan Africa

and Southern Asia

 12 million undernourished in

Uganda (30% of the population)

 The hunger situation in Uganda is serious (IFPRI Global Hunger Index, 2014)

Why Uganda as a case study?

 The paradox of Uganda;

fertile soils, arable land, 80% involved in agriculture

 Political instability

 Climate change already impacting yields - drought, floods, high temperatures

 Uganda has the world’s 2

fastest growing population [3.24 % in 2014]

 Women´s unequal access

to/control over resources

affects their food security

PAR approach & research questions

To what extent and in what ways are women’s food security and livelihoods affected by climate change and access to land and resources in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono?

How are women adapting to climate change and what factors increase their vulnerability to food insecurity in the region?

What interventions can be

implemented using a Participatory

Action Research (PAR) approach

to promote food security?

The specific objectives of the research in line with the Grant:

• To forge the partnerships that the Metropolitan University College has built with scholars at Makerere University and other institutions in Uganda —relationships that reinforce both scholarly and

development goals.

• The activities of the research which include a visiting professorship, research collaborations, graduate student supervision, graduate seminars and workshops, and co-publications with African scholars reiterates the important and transformative role African scholars in the diaspora can and should play in supporting Africa’s growth.

• Also, given the severe economic challenges and the existing gaps in

knowledge production, this project will enhance research capacity

while valuing the academic enterprise and dynamic scholarship of

the African institutions.

Prepare data collection instruments

Ethics review

Recruit research team

Mobilise communi-

ties

Translate instruments to

Luganda

Pilot testing

Instrument revision and

adaptation

Data collection;

3 sites, 9 days Literature

review

Methodology and data collection

Teleconferences

Community meetings Household surveys In-depth interviews

Key informant interviews Focus groups

4 3 108

23

11

8

Our partners and the research team

Makerere University

Community Health and Information Network

FINDINGS

Average HH size Avg. no. of children

Kampala 5.6 4.1

Wakiso 5.6

4.0

Mukono 6.2

6.1 Assets in % of HHs Ownership agric. land

Tap Water Electricity Latrines

Mobile phones Vehicles

Internet

18.5 55.6 61.1 83.3 79.6 11.1 3.7

36.0 4.0 40.0 84.0 64.0 20.0 4.0

24.2 3.4 3.4 86.2 55.2 10.3 0.0

Household characteristics

Ownership of land

 Land fragmentation

 Urban land problems are significant

 Impact of land privatization in planning

of urban areas is a critical policy issue

“The food is not enough. If we had where to cultivate from, probably it would be enough but the land is not there. The other

challenge is the weather. Sometimes the sun is too hot or the rain is too much and it spoils the food”. (R, Komamboga)

40 30 20 10

0 Kampala Wakiso Mukono

Food production yes

Food production no/no answer

Food production and land

How many are involved in food production? (%)

100 90 80 70 60 50

Not enough food…

40 30 20 10

0 Yes No

Grow food Do not grow food

Lack of food due to limited resources (%)

100 90 80 70 60 50

day because the money that used to cater for both lunch and supper …can only cater for…one meal”

(Participant, Kawempe community mtg.)

”Food prices in Uganda have been increasing 7.9% monthly”

(Reuters Africa, May 29 2015)

”When food is scarce you find that some people eat one meal a

60 50 40 30 20 10

0 Kampala Wakiso Mukono

Yes

No

Food prices

How many have experienced changes in food prices? (%)

100 90 80 70

Urbanisation and Climate Change

 Unreliable weather patterns

 Increased temperatures

 Droughts and floods

 Pests and crop failure

 Price fluctuations

Gender concerns

 Only 17% of land titles in Uganda are in the names of women

 Only 53% of married women who earn cash decide how their earnings are used

 Wife beating and gender based violence continue to occur despite Uganda’s Gender Policy.

“When a woman takes a decision to have… only two children because she doesn’t have the means to take care of them and a man sees that the

woman is no longer giving birth, he looks for another one to give him more

children and yet he can’t take care of even the first two” (

Coping strategies

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•

•

•

•

•

Go to bed hungry Fewer meals

Buy cheaper food items Extended family

Borrow money Petty trade

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5

0 ^{Kampala Wakiso Mukono}

How many go to bed hungry?

(%)

Go to bed hungry

Livestock production

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•

•

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Great potential, 50% already involved Political attention

Government supported R & D

Suggested intervention by our respondents

”We would also wish to rear animals for sale but we don’t have the capacity

because it is very expensive…if you rear chicken, you must buy food for them, vaccines and all these make it difficult …but if we get support we can engage in rearing on large scale”.

(Women’s focus group, Komamboga)

…”someone can be on a small piece of land but you find they grow greens in a sack, they have tomatoes…

peanuts…maybe matoke here and there. I think that is the way to go.”

(A, Nangabo)

Urban farming &

crop diversification

Urban and peri-urban farming such as backyard gardens are vital to improve food security of low-income households (SLU, 2014)

”Kampala should feed Kampala”

(Key informant, Kampala Capital City Authority)

Women’s income generation –

interventions suggested by respondents:

Animal rearing (chicken, croilers, pigs, cows)

Soap and oil production

Mat and basket weaving

Brick laying

Laundry

Food storage facilities

Restaurants

Seed banks

”At least each woman should have an income- generating thing”,

(A. in Nangabo)

“They should put up skills development programs to equip people in the

community with skills so as to end

unemployment”

(S. in Katosi)

Income generation

Recommendations:

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•

•

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Strengthen women’s livelihood skills and adaptive capacity Improve women’s access to and control over resources

Diversify food production (backyard gardens, piggery/ poultry)

Improve post-harvest practices

Concluding remarks

 Strong links between access to and control over resources and the level of food security

 An integrated approach needed to tackle the crisis

 Advocate gender-sensitive policies

 Investigate the role of the church and religious organisations in food security and household wellbeing

 Research for Change: Link between research and carrying out interventions and informing policy

 NEXT STEP: Apply for external funding for phase 2 - interventions

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to all the participants in the local communities in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono who, despite the challenges they face, gave us their time and shared their stories with us.

We also thank:

Metropolitan University College: Linda Schumann Scheel, Hanne Gillett, Anders Blædel Gottlieb Hansen, Chalida Mae Svastisalee, Rie Bue.

Makerere University, Uganda: Alice Ndidde, Janice Busingye and John Ssendagire CHAIN Uganda: Regina Kamoga, Jean Wabulyu, William Babumba

Government of Uganda: Vice President of Uganda, Vincent K. Musubire, Margaret Ageti Otteskov Research Assistants in Uganda: John Ssendagire, Jean Wabulyu, Esther Sonkavuma,

Josephine Mulwana Roseline Nakazibwe, Harriet Aber, Harriet Mbale, Jordan Byekwaso, Juliet Nakito and Ayub Murisho

Student Interns: Ecaterina Elena Lazau and Mira Lundsgaard Student Volunteer: Oda-Kange Diallo, KU

Advisory Board: Margaret Otteskov, Vibeke Quaade, Arne Wangel, Ellen Barclay, Edidah Ampaire

References

 IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute). (2014). Global Hunger Index.

Washington: IFPRI

 Hooton, N., Lee-Smith, D., Nasinyama, G. & Romney, D. (2006). Learning lessons from the Kampala urban agriculture policy process. International Livestock Research

Institute, Overseas Development Institute.Available online at

http://www.pppppc.org/content/files/documents/Kampala%20report%20final%20WEB.p df

 Kabumbuli , R.,Mubanjizi , J., Kindi , F., Ssebuliba , J. (2008). Landownership and food security in Uganda: HIV, livelihoods, food and nutrition security. Brief 18. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

 Park, P. (1993). What is participatory research? A theoretical and methodological perspective (chapter 1). In P. Park et al. (Eds.), Voices of Change. Westport, Connecticut: Bergin & Garvey.

 Reuters Africa (2015, May 29). UPDATE 1-Uganda's May inflation jumps due to rising food price. Available online at

http://af.reuters.com/article/ugandaNews/idAFL5N0YK1K120150529

 SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) (2014). Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture for Food Security in Low-income Countries – Challenges and Knowledge Gaps. Uppsala: SLU

 UNDP. (2012). Gender, climate change and food security. New York; UNDP. Available online at http://www.gender-climate.org/Content/Docs/Publications/UNDP_Policy-Brief- Gender-Climate-Change-and-Food-Security.pdf

Key milestones achieved

 3 international conferences;

1. IARU Global challenges: Achieving Sustainability Science conference , CPH, October 2014, poster

2. FAU-DDRN : Development Paradoxes – the difficulties of marrying growth with local

economic development and poverty reduction, CPH, August 2014, paper

3.Governance in Developing Economies, 24- 28^th August 2015, Kampala, Uganda, paper

 1 publishable paper:

Women in central Uganda: Policy Implications based on action research”.

 2 student interns to Uganda

 3 external grant applications,

1 successful: