AGRA CELEBRATES 20YEARS WITH CALLS TO INTEGRATE CLIMATE CHANGE IN NEW VISION

African Forum for Agriculture Advisory Services (AFAAS) has urged Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to integrate climate change into its new strategic vision for the next 20 years. The call was made by AFAAS Executive Director Dr Lilian Lihaasi Kidula, while speaking at a food system conference to celebrate AGRA’s 20-year existence. Dr Lihasi said despite the many interventions AGRA has done in the last 20 years, climate change remains a key identified challenge that requires urgent attention.

 “We have seen the tremendous strides by AGRA over the last 20 years; there are visible and tangible milestones achieved in the transformation of Africa’s food systems; however, we need to quickly integrate climate mitigation as a core area for the next phase because it is an issue that has affected progression at most parts.” Adds Dr Lillian Lihasi Kidula.  

The colorful Uganda country celebrations held at the Kampala Serena Hotel and attended by a rich stakeholder group were blended with success stories, recollections of the journey, and multiple policy panels to shape the next 20 years of AGRA priority interventions for Uganda.

The celebrations under the theme, “Positioning Uganda as an Agricultural Powerhouse to Feed Africa Through Commercial Agriculture and Resilient Agrifood Systems,” convened distinguished leaders from across Uganda, including government officials, development partners, private sector executives, farmers’ organizations, youth innovators, and agricultural experts.

For two decades, AGRA has worked alongside African governments, farmers, and development partners, research institutions, civil society, and the private sector to advance inclusive Agricultural transformation and strengthen food systems across the continent.

“This milestone marks not only a celebration of progress achieved but also an opportunity to reflect on the collective efforts that have contributed to improving food security, increasing farmer incomes, and building more resilient agricultural systems in Africa, Together, we will celebrate key achievements, recognize transformative partnerships, and engage in strategic dialogue on the future of Uganda’s food systems amid evolving global challenges and opportunities. .” Said David Wozemba the AGRA Country Director.

Mr Grace Musimami, the executive director of the Agriculture Sector Network Uganda, congratulated AGRA FOR its milestone over the years. He said, despite declining donor support to the agriculture sector, AGRA had continued to support Uganda’s agriculture sector to flourish. He urged AGRA to document success stories as an enabler to motivate and track the great works.

“In the late 2000s, AGRA established a center of excellence in Kabanyoro, where we saw several breeders trained. We need to track where these professionals are. Uganda’s seed sector has shaped up because of the initial support from AGRA, but all these good stories need to be documented and shared. i also know that many policies that support agricultural development have been supported by AGRA, but have not been either translated or disseminated. There is a need to further fast-track pending policies as we celebrate this journey. “said Grace Musimami .

During the same event, participants engaged in high-level plenary discussions, keynote addresses, partner recognition segments, and a forward-looking dialogue on the next chapter of Uganda’s food systems transformation.