Feed the Future Advancing Local Leadership, Innovation and Networks (ALL-IN) program

Strengthening Women Smallholders’ Resilience to Agricultural Shocks for Enhanced Income Diversification and Empowerment in Uganda

Makerere University received a funding from USAID Feed the Future Advancing Local Leadership, Innovation and Networks (ALL-IN) program, Markets, Risks and Resilience Innovations Lab at the University of California Davis and the International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED) Nairobi, to strengthen women smallholder farmers’ capacity to respond to agricultural shocks, improve their household income and asset portfolio for economic empowerment. The three-year research project involves implementing and rigorously evaluating different intervention packages that can potentially transform and improve women smallholders’ resilience to agricultural shocks. The interventions include promotion of adoption of appropriate agronomic practices to increase agricultural production and engagement in on-/off-farm enterprises to enhance household income, food security and address the socio-cultural gender norms that hinder women’s economic progress. The project which is being implemented in Isingiro district, South Western Uganda and Alebtong district in the Northern region of Uganda. 

Following a baseline survey, that documented the characteristics and intensity of agricultural shocks experienced by rural women smallholder farmers in the districts and examined their ability to manage the risks associated with agricultural shocks, gender transformative interventions were implemented. This included training of women smallholder farmers with their spouses on gender transformative practices in climate smart agriculture, business and entrepreneurship and provision of a Revolving Fund. Over 310 women smallholder farmers received a revolving fund of Ugx150,000 ($40.9) each to invest in buying agricultural inputs and income diversification.