The National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU) has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming Uganda’s food and agricultural systems by supporting organic producers, empowering women-led enterprises, and driving access to global markets through sustainable and ethical value chains.
This commitment was highlighted during the 11th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-11) held at Speke Resort Munyonyo, which was attended by several leaders from across Africa and was presided over by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Theย ๐๐๐ญ๐กย ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ย ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅย ๐
๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฆย ๐จ๐งย ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ย ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญย (๐๐๐
๐๐-๐๐), hosted under the theme;ย โ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จย ๐ซ๐ฐ๐ฃย ๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏย ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅย ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐คย ๐จ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ธt๐ฉย ๐ต๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉย ๐ด๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ,ย ๐ช๐ฏ๐ค๐ญ๐ถ๐ด๐ช๐ท๐ฆ,ย ๐ด๐ค๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ-๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅย ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ-๐ฃ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅย ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด,โ aimed atย accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Africaโs Agenda 2063.
The ARFSD-11 focused on five priority SDGs which include;ย ๐๐จ๐จ๐ย ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐กย &ย ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ย (๐๐๐ย ๐),ย ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ซย ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒย (๐๐๐ย ๐),ย ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ญย ๐๐จ๐ซ๐คย &ย ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ย ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐กย (๐๐๐ย ๐),ย ๐๐ข๐๐ย ๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐย ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซย (๐๐๐ย ๐๐),ย ๐๐ง๐ย ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌย ๐๐จ๐ซย ๐ญ๐ก๐ย ๐๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ฌย (๐๐๐ย ๐๐).
NOGAMU’s Vision for Sustainable Agriculture
Speaking at the Forum, Farid Karama, NOGAMU’s Global Market Advisor, emphasized the organization’s focus on four key areas:
Climate Resilience:
Karama revealed that NOGAMU aims to promote climate-resilient agricultural practices that support sustainable development and food security.
Youth and Women Employment
He noted that the organization seeks to empower youth and women in the agriculture sector, promoting inclusive and equitable economic growth.
Healthier Communities
In a bid to ensure a healthy Uganda, Karama revealed that NOGAMU is committed to improving the health and well-being of communities through sustainable agriculture and food systems.
Sustainable Agri-Food Systems
He explained that the organization promotes sustainable agriculture practices, supporting value-added agriculture and inclusive trade.
Key Outcomes from ARFSD-11
The forum highlighted several key outcomes that align with NOGAMU’s work, including:
Strengthening Science-Based Solutions
The importance of science-based solutions for agri-food systems was emphasized, with a focus on promoting sustainable agriculture practices.
Support for Value-Added Agriculture
The need for support for value-added agriculture and inclusive trade was highlighted, promoting economic growth and development.
Focused Investment in Youth and Women
The forum emphasized the importance of investing in youth and women in the agriculture sector, promoting inclusive and equitable economic growth.
Enhanced Partnerships
The need for enhanced partnerships between public and private sectors was highlighted, promoting collaboration and cooperation in the agriculture sector.
NOGAMU’s Efforts in Promoting Organic Agriculture
According to Karama, NOGAMU has been working to promote organic agriculture in Uganda, with a focus on supporting smallholder farmers and improving their livelihoods. He explained that among other things, ย the organisation has:
Established Farmer Groups
He revealed that through concerted efforts NOGAMU has established farmer groups, providing training and support to smallholder farmers in Uganda.
Promoted Organic Certification
He also highlighted the organizationโs efforts to promote organic certification, improving market access and increasing income for smallholder farmers.
Supported Value Chain Development
Through working together with patners, Karama said NOGAMU has supported value chain development, improving market access and increasing income for smallholder farmers.
NOGAMU’s commitment to transforming Uganda’s agricultural systems is a significant step towards promoting sustainable development and food security.
The organization’s focus on climate resilience, youth and women employment, healthier communities, and sustainable agri-food systems aligns with the key outcomes from ARFSD-11.
By promoting organic agriculture and supporting smallholder farmers, NOGAMU is therefore contributing to a more sustainable and equitable food system in Uganda while aligning its goals with those of the ARFSD-11.
