EU injects Shs66.8b to combat climate change in Uganda
L-R: Mr Jan Sadek, the European Union Ambassador to Uganda, Ms Signe Winding Alberjerg, the Danish Ambassador to Uganda, and Mr Moses Nyabila, the Chief Executive Officer of aBi Development Ltd during the launch of programs to combat climate change on Thursday. Photo | Betty Ndagire
What you need to know:
- These programs aim to drive inclusive economic transformation and combat climate change caused by human activities that are not in line with the green agenda
The European Union, in collaboration with DANIDA, has invested Shs66.8 billion in two green-focused programs under the Agricultural Business Initiative to combat climate change effects.
The two programs are the Green Agrifood System Program (GRASP) and Accelerating Adoption of Green Inclusive Finance (AAGIF), both of which will run for five years.
These programs aim to drive inclusive economic transformation and combat climate change caused by human activities that are not in line with the green agenda.
The GRASP program focuses on improving agricultural productivity through climate-smart methods, while the AAGIF program aims to facilitate the adoption of green inclusive finance.
Mr Jan Sadek, the European Union Ambassador to Uganda, stated that the investment is a response to the disruption of food and logistics value chains caused by Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
He emphasized that the programs will help boost agricultural production globally while promoting climate-smart methods to increase productivity.
"This is our response here in Uganda. Through climate smart aspects not only do we improve the productivity of agricultural produce, but we also do it in a climate-smart way," Mr Sadek said during the launch of the programs on Thursday.
“The investment will help farmers fulfil their obligations under this directive while continuing to export coffee to the European Union,” he said.
Ms Signe Winding Alberjerg, the Danish Ambassador to Uganda, explained that the investment is also aimed at helping Ugandan farmers adapt to climate change.
“The investment will support the green transformation of the agricultural sector and provide assistance for adaptation to the climate change that is already happening,” she stated.
Mr Henry Opolot, the commissioner for the agricultural extension skills management system at the Ministry of Agriculture, noted that the programs align with Uganda's strategic direction as guided by Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan III.
He emphasized that investing in climate resilience and adaptation strategies for small and large-scale farmers is crucial for the success of the agricultural sector and the country's transformation.
Utility
The launch of these two programs marks the end of the successful Uganda Programme for Sustainable and Inclusive Development of the Economy (UPSIDE) program that started in 2019. The UPSIDE program supported over 200,000 farmers, half of whom were women, to achieve resilience to climate change through expanded and inclusive green agri-food systems
