Uganda—Feed the Future Inclusive Agricultural Markets (IAM)

The Feed the Future Inclusive Agricultural Markets (IAM) activity works to increase incomes and improve livelihoods in Uganda by promoting agriculture-led economic growth.

IAM takes a market systems development approach. It builds the capacity of Government of Uganda institutions and of private sector and civil society organizations, and seeks to create incentives for agro-industry and agribusiness firms to invest and respond to changes in the market system.

Inclusivity lies at the heart of IAM. The team focuses on strengthening the market integration of “zone of influence” districts and of marginalized groups including women, youth, refugees, their host communities, and the people of Karamoja—Uganda’s least economically developed region. IAM will ensure that 60 percent of those benefitting from the activities are women and 40 percent are young people.

Video: IAM partnered with Okeba Uganda to increase refugee communities' access to quality agricultural inputs and niche markets.

Sample Activities

• Promote internship programs among youth networks in Uganda.
• Engage rural communities to adopt tech-based initiatives and support Uganda’s digital transformation through challenge-driven accelerators.
• Support firms to commercialize new varieties, especially climate-smart varieties.
• Strengthen advocacy of private firms in engaging with local government by improving enforcement of ordinances, improving budgeting for vital government activities, and providing input on district and regional development plans.
• Identify private partners that are willing and able to invest in changing behavior, in increasing competitiveness, and in testing innovative business strategies to increase the inclusion of marginalized groups.
• Help farmer organizations and agribusinesses recover from the secondary effects of COVID-19.

Select Results

• Helped 4,270 farmers in Karamoja to access high-quality inputs such as seeds, fertilizer, and animal feed (996 were female and 628 were young farmers).
• Eight producer organizations and eight private farms and agribusinesses multiplied their certified iron-rich bean seeds that are more resilient to climate change, lessening hunger and improving nutrition.
• Sold 22,980 kilograms of certified bean 2 varieties to farmers to grow across 766 acres; $71,000 worth of agricultural insurance came with the bean varieties to reduce the risks associated with climate change.
• Supported the Uganda Oil Seed Producers and Processors Association to distribute 3,332 kilograms of high-quality sunflower seed and 1,400 kilograms of soybean seeds to farmers in Karamoja.
• Helped 1,753 farmers to harvest 1.13 million kilograms of sunflower seeds and 88,200 kilograms of soybeans.
• Supported farmers to earn $705,351 through produce sales, which increased household incomes by an average of 20 percent among households that planted good quality seeds.
• Supported grain trader Okeba Uganda Limited to strengthen its supply chain from iron-rich bean producers. The company signed a 30,000 metric ton supply contract for soya bean with Spenza limited Kenya. In collaboration with IAM, Okeba has mobilized 11,872 smallholder farmers (7,006 women and 3,028 refugees), recruited and trained 160 business agents, known as local market facilitators.
• Helped input distribution partner Oasis Agribusiness to sell 12.6 metric tons of maize grains to Abim Farmers Development Agency.
• Supported the Rubanga Cooperative Society, a farmer cooperative dealing in coffee, maize, and bean, in signing a supply contract for Arabica coffee worth $557,280, along with a financing agreement worth more than $315,000 to offer crop advances to smallholder farmers and act as working capital for the cooperative to purchase greater volumes of Arabica coffee under the supply contract.