The Case of Uganda National Farmers Federation

By Augustine Mwendya

One of the major factors of agricultural production is land. It is from land that majority of the world's population, particularly in the developing countries, derives their livelihoods. Unfortunately, land in some cases is not easily accessible to most people, particularly women.

The International Land Coalition, realising this fact, set out to assist the vulnerable grass root farmers and the landless to access land. The Coalition is doing this through extending financial support to Civil Society Organisations and Farmers Organisations that advance the farmers' cause through lobby and advocacy as well as creating awareness among the farming communities about their land rights.

In Uganda the International Land Coalition extended financial support to Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE), an umbrella member-based producer organisation to promote access to land by the grass root farmers. The Government of Uganda encourages citizens to sustainably utilise land. In this respect the Government enacted a Land Act 1998. The Land Act offers different opportunities to farmers. It introduces a decentralised system which allows for land administration at District, sub-county and parish level.

Each District Local Council has got a District Land Board charged with the responsibility of land management and administration. Unfortunately, there has been general lack of information on the Land Act 1998 which has the provision to enable farmers demand for their land rights through legal structures.

UNFFE having realised this shortfall among the farming community sought support from the International Land Coalition so that we could equip the farmers with information about the Land Act 1998. With this information the farmers would be in position to demand for their land rights through the legal structures and thus be able to put their land to full production for sustainable economic development.

Farmers from 15 districts out of 56 in Uganda were trained on the Act and now address land issues from an informed position. Thus, through the support from theu International Land Coalition, UNFFE can proudly say that we are Advancing Together on the struggle to make one of the major factors in agricultural production (LAND) easily accessible to the farming fraternity, especially women.