Bridging the Divide – Cultivating a Strong Partnership Between National-Level Policymakers and Grass Root Innovators.

by Lydia Muriithi

Imagine a world where policymakers and grassroots innovators work hand in hand, crafting policies that foster sustainable development, social equity, and prosperity. While this may sound like a distant dream, bridging the divide between the two is not only possible but essential for the growth of our societies. Today we delve into bridging this gap, exploring the challenges it poses and the promising avenues for improved collaboration, knowledge, and capital.

The attendees included students, facilitators, and Ministers from the Departments of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Water and Environment, Agricultural Extension Services, Gender, Energy, and the private sectors. The day began with a word of welcome from Prof. Florence Birungi (Makerere University) and the Commissioner of Agricultural Extension and Skills Management in Uganda, Dr. Opolot Henry Nakalet.

There was an overview of the national policies using the Water Evaluation and Planning System (WEAP) and Low Emissions Analysis Platforms (LEAP). These tools were used to show how policies relate to the Water Energy Food (WEF) nexus, presented by Professor Annette Huber-Lee and Mrs. Silvia from the Stockholm Institute. Key scenarios projected by 2040 included improved yields for farmers relying on rain-fed water, increased energy demands for irrigation, and cooking (biogas), and reduced greenhouse gas emissions through the use of solar pumps as compared to the current diesel pumps.

Students from each of the four groups (Ddungi, Wabusolo, Lugasa, and Namukono villages) presented the prototyped findings and solutions to the policymakers to facilitate an in-depth understanding of the importance of scaling up farmers’ collaboration, knowledge, and capital. Policymakers and students from each of the four villages had rounded discussions to see how the proposed pathways of change could align with their national goals and strategies to enhance food security, sustainable agriculture, and resource management among farmers in Uganda.

A central topic from each of the group discussions was to understand why farmers are still not food and energy secure, despite Uganda’s vision for 2040 “The Government will strengthen cooperatives in order to build the capacity of farmers in management, entrepreneurship, and group dynamics. This will enable the farmers to engage in value-chain activities, especially collective marketing. Furthermore, Government will also reform the extension system in the country to increase information access, knowledge, and technologies to the farmers.” ​

Why the Gap between National Policy Makers and Farmers?

During group discussions, the national policymakers resonated with our experiences and affirmed that its true, the government had once abolished cooperatives. Key causes of the existing gap are that many farmers are not ready to change their mindset to  move from traditional methods of farming and adopt the new climate-smart technologies. On the other hand, agriculture and extension services do not rank high on the government’s list of priorities since the government abolished agricultural cooperatives hindering the dissemination of knowledge at the grassroots. Moreover, channels to finance climate-smart adaptation practices or sustainable irrigation methods are extremely limited.

Way forward

The students advised the national policymakers to strengthen their link with universities in training local farmers to help ease pressure among Ministry officials and current extension workers who are too few in the country. Moreover, farmers should be taught appropriate and relevant technologies and be encouraged to apply them in their farming so as to increase their production and realize more household income. Additionally, farmers should keep on being encouraged to strengthen existing cooperatives and form new ones (for those without) to facilitate knowledge sharing through social media (WhatsApp), farmers’ groups, or field days.