Uganda – PL 480 Title II Program

Transforming Subsistence Farmers into Viable Commercial Producers

Despite Uganda’s fertile soil and abundant natural resources, economic stability and long-term food security in the country remain elusive. A wide array of indicators point to increasing vulnerability among children, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), smallholder farmers, and individuals in conflict-affected areas. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had widespread impact on household productivity and contributed to a growing number of orphans. Crop disease, soil degradation and poor planting practices still stifle smallholder agricultural production and brutal conflict in northern and eastern Uganda has displaced over 1 million people.

In 2006, USAID awarded ACDI/VOCA a 5-year, $74 million Title II Multi-Year Assistance Program (MYAP) in Uganda, the largest award in ACDI/VOCA history. The program aims to reduce food insecurity and increase nutritional awareness and best practices for vulnerable populations in northern and eastern Uganda. It is an outgrowth of efforts that began in 1989 when ACDI/VOCA began managing a USAID-funded PL 480 Title II program to transform smallholder subsistence farmers into viable commercial producers through the introduction of modern farming techniques. Over the years, ACDI/VOCA has implemented seven other projects in Uganda and builds on its past successes through the implementation of its current project. Along with partners Africare, Lutheran World Federation, The Aids Support Organization (TASO), and local nongovernmental organization (NGO) grantees, ACDI/VOCA helps to alleviate food insecurity in Uganda through two strategic project objectives:

• reduced food insecurity and increased nutritional status through better production and use of food by smallholder farmers
• reduced food insecurity and improved nutrition for particularly vulnerable people through the distribution of supplementary food rations

Smallholder Agriculture

Under the PL 480 Title II Program, ACDI/VOCA and partners focus on improving food production and use. ACDI/VOCA and partners will target approximately 170,600 smallholder farmer beneficiaries over the life of the project. Through a subgranting mechanism, ACDI/VOCA offers technical assistance and trainings in nutrition and hygiene, agronomic methods, post-harvest handling, group savings mobilization and management, ACDI/VOCA’s signature Farming as a Business curriculum, collective marketing, and natural resource management.

Through ACDI/VOCA’s grants and development unit (GDU), the project awards food security grants to both local NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs). Grants target beneficiaries in conflict and post-conflict areas, and grantees integrate the project’s food aid beneficiaries into agricultural activities. ACDI/VOCA conducts training of trainers (TOT) sessions for local subgrantees to enable them to more effectively disperse knowledge to beneficiary farmers. ACDI/VOCA’s technical team offers ongoing support and consultations to grantees to assist in building their long-term capacities. In 2007, 70 trainers and contact farmers received technical training directly from the GDU through 19 TOT sessions.

The core nutrition-training module helps farming households make informed decisions about which nutritious foods are needed during each season to increase the frequency and nutritional value of meals and meet any special nutritional needs. Subsequent trainings introduce beneficiaries to improved farming techniques, financial management guidance and simple business practices to maximize the production and marketing potential of their farms. They stress the importance of crop and income diversification. The project strengthens community and household capacities to withstand future challenges by providing training support to farmer savings groups. By the end of 2007, approximately 7,332 farmers—62 percent of whom were female—had received technical trainings in the districts of Katakwi, Amuria, Gulu, Amuru, Pallisa, Kumi and Bukedye.

Beginning in 2008, ACDI/VOCA and Africare will improve the local transportation infrastructure by involving local district governments in the rehabilitation of feeder roads to increase access to local and regional markets. These improved roads will help farmers distribute their products efficiently and access services.

Food Distribution

Over the course of the project, ACDI/VOCA and its partners will target approximately 42,000 beneficiaries through a food distribution program to PLWHA and their families. Each month, beneficiaries who are TASO clients and deemed food insecure receive supplementary food rations, with food-insecure clients who are on anti-retroviral treatment being prioritized. TASO provides complementary treatment, counseling and care to the food aid recipients. ACDI/VOCA staff arranges logistics, conducts distributions, confirms beneficiary eligibility, and monitors and evaluates the overall program. At the end of 2007, nutrient-rich rations had been distributed to 22,000 beneficiaries at more than 39 food distribution points.

Selected PLWHA beneficiary households are integrated into agricultural and income-generating components of the project. By integrating as many food aid beneficiaries into ongoing agriculture and training activities as possible, the food aid recipient households will be more able to sustain long-term food security. ACDI/VOCA plans to award 15 small grants to local organizations that will specialize in nonagricultural income-generating activities and ultimately benefit 1,500 project beneficiaries. By the end of fiscal year 2007, ACDI/VOCA’s local subgrantee Farming for Food and Development-Eastern Uganda (FADEP-EU) had integrated 348 households affected by HIV/AIDS into its agricultural interventions. Ninety-eight of these households continue to benefit from ACDI/VOCA’s direct food distribution.

Monetization and Logistics

Monetization is the sale of donated U.S. commodities in a foreign country to generate funds for development activities. Under the ACDI/VOCA PL 480 program, wheat is sold through a competitive tendering process. ACDI/VOCA leads a monetization consortium of PL 480 Title II private voluntary organizations (PVOs), including Save the Children USA and World Vision. As the consortium monetization leader with extensive commodity trading experience, ACDI/VOCA organizes the movement and sale of all PVO monetization commodities throughout the year. The coordinated wheat sales have brought maximum proceeds for the partners, minimized impact on the local market, and promoted the development of local mills.

In addition to the monetization of wheat, ACDI/VOCA also manages the logistics of commodity that will be distributed to program beneficiaries. This commodity is transported from ACDI/VOCA’s main warehouse in Kampala to three regional warehouses in Lira, Soroti and Gulu districts before it is taken to final distribution points for delivery to beneficiaries.

For more information, contact Ashleigh Mullinax at amullinax@acdivoca.org.

Updated: 4/08