Slow Food Uganda

Kampala, Uganda

An Overview Of Our Solution

If food and nutritional security are to be enhanced for everyone then a different approach must be taken. When large farms receive help towards creating greater yields from their crops, they may increase the amount of food that is exported and help the agricultural sector economically, but this input is doing little to help improve the food and nutritional security in Uganda.Slow Food Uganda is a network that involves thousands of small scale farmers, breeders, fishers, food artisans, etc around the country, voluntarily engaged in promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly food production and consumption systems in their territories that seek to ensure access to Good, Clean and Fair Food for all.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Suburban

Rural

Organization type

Sin fines de lucro/No Gubernamental

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Forests

Freshwater

Grasslands

Oceans/Coasts

Population impacted

About 11,000 people

Size of agricultural area

27 acres

Production quantity

7000 kilos

People employed

50 people

Describe your solution

Slow Food Uganda promotes the right for Ugandans to food that is good, clean, and fair for everyone: good because it is healthy as well as having enjoyable sensory qualities; clean because it is mindful of the environment and animal welfare; fair because it is respectful of the work of the people who produce, process, and distribute it. Slow Food Uganda is also present in all regions of Uganda with 14 active Convivia (Local food communities) and more that 150 food communities and close to 200 School and community gardens where more than 10,000 food activists and producers work day by day to ensure continuous access for all Ugandans to Nutritious meals that are Good Clean and Fair. All local chapters communities and gardens are coordinated by community based leaders who organize educational courses and tastings as well as promoting the association’s international campaigns at a local level, organizing national events with the aim of communicating Slow Food’s principles and themes to a wider public, starting locally based projects and participating in Slow Food’s major National and international events.

Describe your implementation

In order to implement our activities, Slow Food Uganda works with a network of farmers, chefs, journalists, indigenous people, youths, researchers and all other individuals who are passionate about defending good, clean and fare food. We do different activities which help us to achieve our objectives like the Ark of Taste which is Slow Food’s main project for the identification of food biodiversity at risk of extinction. This online catalog gathers together thousands of descriptions of the world’s food diversity (plants, animal breeds, fruits and vegetables, but also food products like cheeses, honeys, breads and cured meats), inspiring everyone to rediscover these products, learn about them, take care of them and eat them to save them. The 10,000 Gardens in Africa project which means producing fresh, healthy, local food but it also means constructing a network of young leaders who will lead the Slow Food movement in every sense (political, strategic and operational), and who will be key player in the future of the continent, defending the values of their lands and cultures. The Presidia which are locally based projects established to safeguard artisanal food products, native breeds, plant varieties, traditional farming and fishing techniques, ecosystems and rural landscapes at risk of extinction. The Chefs’ Alliance which involves a network of local chefs who are passionate on promoting our local food through buying it from the producers and for cooking in restaurants and hotels. The Earth Markets where producers sell local products themselves which involves promoting them, defending the local biodiversity, and protecting the small scale producer who sells the products at a fair price in this case.

External connections

The key stake holders or partners are Slow Food international, Individuals and food communities around the country. We work with different fishing communities on lake Victoria where we aim at protecting the small scale fishermen and protecting the fishing diversity in the country.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

The Presidia are locally based projects established to safeguard artisanal food products, native breeds, plant varieties, traditional farming and fishing techniques, ecosystems and rural landscapes at risk of extinction. They involve communities of small-scale producers who are willing to work together and decide together on production rules and how to promote their products. They preserve ancient knowledge, promote sustainable practices and add value to their local areas. They are concrete and virtuous examples of sustainable agriculture, based on quality, animal welfare, sustainability, and respect for the environment, close links to the local area and consumer health and pleasure.

Describe the context in which you are operating

Slow Food Uganda is also present in all regions of Uganda with 14 active Convivia and more that 150 food communities and close to 200 School and community gardens where more than 10,000 food activists and producers work day by day to ensure continuous access for all Ugandans to Nutritious meals that are Good Clean and Fair. All local chapters communities and gardens are coordinated by community based leaders who organize educational courses and tastings as well as promoting the association’s international campaigns at a local level, organizing national events with the aim of communicating Slow Food’s principles and themes to a wider public, starting locally based projects and participating in Slow Food’s major National and international events.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

Through the Ark of Taste project, we map products at a risk of extinction from different communities, write about them and then we identify producers who can preserve these products in order to safe guard and improve biodiversity. These products are always promoted through our projects like the presidium where a group of people work to safeguard a product at a risk of extinction and the earth market where producers sell these products themselves. In Uganda we currently have 40 ark of taste products and others are nominated though not yet put on the ark.

Language(s)

English

Water

We are working with fishing communities on a fresh water lake (Lake Victoria) to defend the fish species in the lake and also teaching the fishermen to preserve the water sources.

Food Security/Nutrition

Through our activities, we are teaching people of all generations about the nutritious values of local food. Through the Ten Thousand Gardens in Africa project, we teach students and community members about gardening which can preserve the biodiversity and also improve nutrition among people.

Economic/Sustainable Development

Through the products grown and preserved, the communities sell off these products to the markets which are both local and international and this improves the people’s economic development.

Climate

We have held several meetings to adapt climate change and people are being sensitized to plant more trees and not to build in wetlands which can help in climate change adaption.

Sustainability

Since Slow Food is a nonprofit member supported organization, the economic sustainability of our solution rely membership fees from the members and on grant funding from donors.

Return on investment

It costs 55000 euros to implement our activities in the whole country every year.

Entrant Image

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

This can be done through bringing a network of people and build their capacity on how to bring up a solution. This is done on a national basis with in Uganda and the key stake holders are the farmers, Fishermen, political leaders and researchers. The additional needs are stationary, Consultants, among others.

Overview