The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF] with support from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa [COMESA] and  United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] is implementing the project, "Enhancing adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture [CSA] practices in Uganda’s farming systems” which is specifically focused towards five districts, namely Bugiri, Busia, Budaka, Namutumba and Buyende.

This project is part of Uganda Government’s Strategic Investment Framework [SIF] on Sustainable Land Management [SLM]. The SLM SIF is within the framework of the Agricultural Sector Development Strategy and Investment Plan [DSIP]. The SIF identified Climate Smart Agriculture [CSA] practices such as Conservation Agriculture [CA] as relevant, and underscored the need to address climate adaptation and mitigation measures in the agricultural sector to improve food security and minimize land degradation. Implementation arrangements also seek to contribute to objectives of the climate change National Adaptation Plan of Action [NAPA], which are within Agriculture Sector Development Strategy and Investment Plan [DSIP].  The project intends to use lessons learnt to inform policy and strengthen decentralized governance mechanisms and institutions and practices that empower local governments and Civil Society Organizations [CSOs] in CSA and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

This project thus focuses on enhancing productivity of land through sustainable land management of soil and water resources, particularly integrating CSA as a climate change adaptation strategy to build climate change resilient societies. The intention is to promote CSA practices in five target districts, putting in place measures/systems to improve input supply, develop produce markets for economic sustainability for CSA enterprises; and supporting research activities to generate baselines, monitoring and evaluation guidelines and national recommendations on CSA technologies and practices.  From a broader perspective, the project will contribute to development of a national CSA strategy as contribution to the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme [CAADP] agenda, to the current Uganda National Development Plan [NDP] and the DSIP.

The Project Document [ProDoc] covering the period 2014-2015 was signed by Government, UNDP and COMESA in 2014, following pilot implementation of activities by MAAIF; and full project implementation began in July 2014.   The project was scheduled to end on 31 December 2015, but now has been granted three months no-cost extension.