Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Uganda in partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), on Friday held a one day engagement workshop with stakeholders in organic Agriculture Investment and Land use policy to promote organic Agriculture Investment in Uganda.
The workshop, held at Skyz Hotel in Kampala, brought together representatives from the Ministry of Lands, Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Makerere University, Uganda Investment Authority and Farmers’ Organizations among others.
The primary objective of the workshop, according to a joint communique by PELUM Uganda and GIZ, was to popularize the Investor Compliance Monitoring Tool (ICMT) to the identified Government Authorities (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) that were previously not engaged on the tool yet their role is vital in up calling the use and adoption of the ICMT.
Chariton Namuwoza, the Chief executive officer, National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU), while briefing journalists, said the tool is intended to promote organic Agriculture investments in the entire country.
“I am in support of this tool as it supports the organic Agriculture sector and will reflect how well organic Agriculture Investments are done,” he said. He said the tool will in addition benefit both the investors and farmers engaged in organic Agriculture.
He added that organic Agriculture Investors will re-orient their projects to the needs of people within the ecosystem to ensure management of land resources does not jeopardize the environment.
Moses Onen, PELUM Uganda Manager Advocacy, told the media, the tool guarantees rights to vulnerable communities such as; women and people living with disability on land rights, adding that the tool also helps to give social security to investors.
He said the tool has been successful in the districts of Dokolo in Northern Uganda, Eastern Uganda and in Kasanda and Mubende districts in the central region and shall be rolled out to other districts. He however, said there are challenges still being faced in the central region, where there are rampant land wrangles due to the land tenure system, where landlords often disagree with “bibanja” (Land tenants) over rights on occupied land.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
