Whereas agriculture contributes 24% to the national gross domestic product and supports over two-thirds of the population, systemic challenges in the country, including persistent food insecurity, undernourishment, limited access to finance and fragmented coordination continue to hinder the sector’s full potential.
Recent data from the 2024 State of Food Security and Nutrition (SOFI) report highlights that over 34% of Uganda’s population remains undernourished, with more than 12 million people facing food insecurity.
Although the overall poverty levels have reduced from 20.3% to 16.1% according to UBOS, a significant number of households remain in extreme poverty, with Eastern and Northern Uganda still facing a significant proportion at 22.9% and 26.8% respectively underscoring an urgent need for transformative interventions in Uganda’s agrifood systems to drive sustainable growth and improve livelihoods.
If action is not taken, Uganda’s attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG one on ‘No Poverty’ and SDG 2 on ‘Zero Hunger’, are also at stake. And as highlighted by the UN Secretary General, transformation of the agrifood systems would fast track the attainment of the SDGs.
Uganda has demonstrated a strong commitment to transforming its agrifood systems as a pathway for addressing poverty, food insecurity and nutrition challenges of its population.
This commitment is evidenced by the country’s active participation in the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, the development of a National Pathway for Agrifood Transformation, completion of a strategic analysis of the food systems and participation in the Hand-in-Hand Initiative (HIH) Investment Forum.
These efforts are further captured in Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV, 2025/2026-2029/2030, which prioritizes agrifood system transformation as a key driver for economic growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable development.
In January 2025, Uganda hosted the African Union Extraordinary Summit on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) which resulted in the adoption of the Kampala Declaration on building resilient agrifood systems for Africa.
These efforts underscore the country’s resolve to address the food systems transformation constraints while fostering inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth.
Despite Uganda’s commitment and notable progress, significant gaps in financing, coordination, and policy alignment hinder the effective transformation of Uganda’s agrifood system.
It is upon this background that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organizing the Uganda Agrifood Systems Investment and Financing Conference, which will take place on 24 and 25 June 2025 in Kampala.
The conference, to take place at the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) in Namanve, will be coordinated by Agribusiness Incubation Network (AAIN), led by Dr Alex Ariho, who has vast experience in agribusiness development, incubation and investment facilitation across the continent.
According to Food and Agriculture Country Representative Dr Yargalem Beraki, the goal of the conference is to mobilize investments, align strategies, and drive the financial momentum necessary to accelerate the transformation of Uganda’s agrifood systems, as enshrined in the National Development Plan IV (NDP IV).
“The conference is also intended to highlighting the country’s comparative advantages and opportunities within the agrifood sector to attract impactful investments that drive transformation and inclusive growth,” he says.
Other objectives include; Building a consensus on strategic interventions and financing needs under NDP IV, Engaging stakeholders in identifying key agrifood system interventions, financing needs, and existing gaps within the NDP IV, with a view to developing a shared investment agenda that supports coordinated action across sectors.
The African Agribusiness Incubation Network (AAIN), which will coordinate the logistics of the conference on behalf of FAO. AAIN, led by Alex Ariho, has vast experience in agribusiness development, incubation and investment facilitation across the continent.
