Sustainable Farming Systems.

Why focus on Sustainable Agriculture Development?

Uganda’s food systems are dysfunctional. 76% of the nation’s smallholder farmers are unable to directly access formal, high-value markets, produce below their potential, and subsist on less than $5 a day. Many are compelled to completely cease farming and to emigrate. Meanwhile, urban areas with rapid population development, neighbourhood feeding programs, and global marketplaces require fresh food. However, the majority of large buyers find it difficult to work directly with small farmers and instead rely on huge commercial farms, imports, or occasionally, unofficial middlemen that take advantage of small farmers and don’t pay workers fairly. RYPEI is revolutionizing food systems in Uganda to put smallholders and workers first. We believe in a world where smallholder farmers are empowered with long-term opportunities and market access that enable them to live healthy, dignified, and prosperous lives. A world where local food systems are equitable and work in favour of small producers, not against them. A world where all workers in food systems are paid fairly. We believe in building long lasting local solutions to solve local problems.

RYPEI nurtures and motivates farmers to adopt best practices through:

  • Promoting the adoption of sustainable farming techniques to optimize the resources and in turn conserving basic life support systems with focus on land and water conservation
  • Promoting development of value chains across agricultural commodities with an aim to enhance farmers’ income
  • Promoting less water consuming crops to remove the stress on the already limited water ground water resources
  • Building capacities of farmers to tackle the adverse effects of climate change by adoption of climate resilient farming techniques through series of trainings
  • Provision of good quality inputs such as seeds and manure to increase productivity and hence the income of the farmers
  • Providing soil health management services and facilitate soil health cards for the farmers
  • Organizing exposure visits to agricultural stakeholders to build the farmers’ capacities on modern agricultural techniques

RYPEI encourages and fosters farmers to adopt best practices by:

  • Encouraging the adoption of sustainable agricultural methods to conserve essential life support systems with a particular emphasis on land and water conservation.
  • Promoting the creation of value chains for various agricultural products in an effort to increase farmers’ income
  • Promoting less water-intensive plant growth to relieve pressure on groundwater supplies, which are already scarce.
  •  Through a series of trainings, increases farmers’ abilities to combat the negative effects of climate change by adopting climate resilient farming methods.
  • Enabling the use of high-quality inputs, such as seeds and manure, to boost agricultural output and, consequently, farmer income.
  • Organizing exposure visits to agricultural NGOs, colleges, and universities to increase the farmers’ knowledge of contemporary agricultural methods