Smallholder farmers to benefit from Shs14.9b climate change resilience project

The construction of a £3.2 million (Shs14.9 billion) project aimed at enhancing the resilience of smallholder farmers in Uganda to climate change has commenced.

The initiative, dubbed Market Linkages for Livelihoods and Land Restoration (M4R), is funded by the UK government and will be implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in collaboration with local partners.

"We are excited to launch this project, which will support 60,000 smallholder farmers in the Rwenzori region," said Mr Daniel Mumuni, CRS Country Representative for Uganda. "The project aims to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change, while also improving their livelihoods."

The project seeks to restore 40,000 hectares of land, while also working to diversify and increase incomes and food security for at least 80 per cent of the targeted farmers.

"Funded by the UK government, the project aims to incentivize smallholder farmers and private sector businesses to invest in land restoration initiatives," Mr Mumuni added. "We believe that this project will have a significant impact on the lives of smallholder farmers in Uganda, and we are committed to ensuring its success."

Ralph Weir, Private Sector Adviser at the British High Commission in Kampala, noted that the project demonstrates how international investors in carbon credits, development partners, and businesses can work together to support thousands of farmers across Uganda.

"The UK government is committed to tackling the climate crisis and halting and reversing the decline in global biodiversity," Mr Weir said. "We believe that this project will play a critical role in achieving these goals, and we are proud to be supporting it."

The Commissioner for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Dr Joshua Mutambi, applauded the project, noting that it aligns with the government's policy to address climate change and related effects.

"We are happy to see such initiatives being implemented in Uganda," Dr Mutambi said. "We believe that this project will have a significant impact on the lives of smallholder farmers in Uganda, and we are committed to supporting its implementation."

The project is expected to run for three years, with the goal of enhancing the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change, while also improving their livelihoods.

"We are committed to ensuring that this project is successful, and that it has a lasting impact on the lives of smallholder farmers in Uganda," Mr Mumuni said. "We believe that this project will play a critical role in achieving our goals, and we are excited to be working with our partners to implement it."