Geographically prioritizing commodity investments in Uganda

FAO

Geographically prioritizing commodity investments in Uganda

Policy Brief

Year of publication 2022

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 2p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Policy brief

ISBN 978-92-5-137170-1

Series title FAO Agricultural Development Economics Policy Brief

Series number No. 56

Full item page

Synopsis (short abstract) This policy brief highlights the main findings of a new methodology to identify geographical areas where, in theory, investments are likely to have big impacts in terms of both agricultural growth and poverty reduction. By highlighting districts within Uganda that have as-yet untapped agricultural potential for key commodities and that suffer high-levels of poverty, policymakers can use this tool to help pinpoint where commodity-specific investments should go, making these investments more cost-effective and with the biggest payback in terms of food security and poverty reduction. After running the analysis, the economic model found that priority districts are highly context and commodity specific. For millet and sugar cane, the results show that a cluster of districts in eastern Uganda display both the highest unrealized potential and poverty rates, with selected areas for millet located more to the north owing to more arid climates. Whereas, for the other commodities, the districts are more spread out in the country. For example, for maize the model selected districts in northern and eastern Uganda. For bananas, cassava and coffee, the most suitable districts are in the western and central regions. For goats, there was no clear spatial concentration and identified districts are spread out across the territory.

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2022. Geographically prioritizing commodity investments in Uganda. FAO Agricultural Development Economics Policy Brief, No. 56. Rome.

https://doi.org/10.4060/cc2858en

Language English

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

Book (series)

A tool to support the spatial prioritization of commodity-specific investments
An application to Uganda
2022

Also available in:

No results found.

In this paper, we propose a simple methodology to select a limited number of geographical areas to prioritize for commodity-specific investments in Uganda. Similar to other approaches for prioritizing investments geographically, the basic idea behind the proposed method is that districts with high agro-ecological potential, that are also far from their potential and have high levels of poverty, should be prioritized for commodity-specific investments as they are where investments are likely to have the highest impact. The methodology then proposes an iterative elimination algorithm to provide a list of suggested districts that rank high in all dimensions. The results highlight that prioritized districts are very context and commodity specific. In certain cases (e.g. sugar cane or millet), prioritized districts tend to be highly concentrated in one geographical region, whereas they tend to be more spread out for the sectors producing other commodities (i.e. bananas, coffee, goats, cassava and maize). The results are expected to inform a discussion with policymakers in Uganda which is expected to culminate in the selection of an even narrower set of districts for which more in-depth analyses of commodity-specific investments will be undertaken at the level of priority areas, including, among others, irrigation, mechanization, seeds and fertilizers.
Policy brief

Prioritizing public investment in agriculture to spur Uganda’s inclusive economic recovery 2022

Also available in:

No results found.

This brief summarizes the findings of the FAO Agricultural Development Economics Technical Study No. 16 “Productive public investment in agriculture for economic recovery with rural well-being: an analysis of prospective scenarios for Uganda”. It highlights how, through a series of scenarios, public investments promoting agricultural productivity in Uganda could drive growth in agrifood production, with favourable impacts on the economy, on well-being and on poverty, especially in rural areas. It also provides important information about the priorities of Uganda’s National Development Plan (NDP) III and vision for agriculture, as well as new priorities to be considered for enabling economic recovery with increased well-being post-COVID-19.
Document

Initial Results of the Carbon Balance Appraisal on the Agriculture Technology and Agribusiness Advisory Services (ATAAS) Project in Uganda EX-ACT Software for Carbon-Balance Analysis of Investment Projects
Applied Work. EASYPol Module 119
2012

Also available in:

No results found.

Agriculture can play an important role in climate change mitigation while contributing to increased food security and reductions in rural poverty. The Ex-Ante Carbonbalance Tool (EX-ACT) can estimate the mitigation potential of rural development projects/programmes brought on by changes in farming systems and land use. This study presents and discusses the EX-ACT analysis performed on a multi-donorsupported (World Bank, EU, IDAD, GEF, Danida) project in Uganda (the Agricultural Technology and Ag ribusiness Advisory Services Project - ATAAS). Based on projected estimates, the impact of project activities on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration show that the mitigation benefits achieved through the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices (intensification of agricultural lands without deforestation, improved cropland and grassland management, soil and water conservation) can balance the emissions associated with the increase in inputs use and petrol consumption due to t he project. Three simulations have been carried out: first using the direct objectives of the ATAAS project; then reviewing the objectives of the project from a more pragmatic point of view; and finally reviewing the assumptions made to build the baseline scenario. The study shows possible synergies between mitigation and rural development goals, and puts forward possible options for the financing of proposed improvements.