Introduction

Uganda has an uneven capacity to produce and distribute food due to regional differences in food production. The 2023 report titled "Food systems profile - Uganda: Catalyzing the sustainable and inclusive transformation of food systems" outlines various institutional, sectoral, and policy challenges to the establishment of sustainable food systems in the country. The schematic representation below illustrates a comprehensive perspective of the drivers and components within the food systems that contribute to notable regional differences in food and nutrition security across Uganda. To mitigate these differences the deeply ingrained systemic issues that fuel and perpetuate inequalities need to be addressed, including factors such as land tenure systems, infrastructural development, and urbanization within the food system.

Regional Inequalities in the Food Systems

Uganda has an uneven capacity to produce and distribute food due to regional differences in production, transportation, communication, energy, and digital infrastructure. If not addressed, this will prevent the allocation of available food across the country. Such differences are exhibited in the food security indicators including malnutrition. Making progress in reducing inequalities for food and nutrition requires efforts that can address differences in the land tenure systems, infrastructure development, urbanization and a growing influx of refugees.

Land tenure systems

Differences in land tenure systems refer to the various ways in which land ownership and use are regulated in different regions or countries. Uganda’s customary land tenure where access to land is “governed by the rules, customs and regulations of the community”, poses varying levels of tenure security and land rights. It affects marginalized groups in particular such as women, despite their essential role in farming. An insecure land tenure system implies that regions face land-related conflicts that affect investment in the land and reduce agricultural performance, worsening the situation of food and nutrition security. To address these challenges, steps can be taken to reduce inequalities. For instance, the issuance of certificates of customary ownership through government bodies could enhance tenure security. This could lead to collective efforts to invest in land and ultimately reduce food insecurity and malnutrition.

Disparities in infrastructure affect food security

Over 95 percent of Uganda’s cargo, including agricultural products, relies on roads for transportation, but only 16 percent of the roads are finished.  The poor quality roads hinder farmers from transporting or selling their produce to distant markets, holding back their ability to attain a steady income. Furthermore, it also restricts the flow of agricultural produce to resource-deprived regions exacerbating food and nutrition insecurity. Even though there would be efforts to preserve food for regional distribution in deprived regions, electricity supply remains concentrated in some regions. As identified by the Global Hunger Index (WFP, 2022)[2]  regions with poor infrastructure are the most affected by hunger. The wide regional disparity in infrastructure influences not only food and nutrition security but also undermines potential human resource capital and creates an additional burden on the healthcare sector.

Rising urbanization is a potential risk for nutrition security.

Urban consumers are more vulnerable to unsafe foods, owing this to their high reliance on food markets, as well as to prevailing unhygienic and non-standardized post-harvest practices (FAO, European Union and CIRAD,2023). At the same time, the urban poor cannot afford sufficient and diverse, nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables. The dietary deficiency is partly attributed to consumer preferences, as urban consumers opt for processed, ultra-processed and fast foods due to their convenience and cost-effectiveness, coupled with their sedentary lifestyles. This calls for the need to create awareness among communities on better food choices and nutritional practices. Consumers should also be made increasingly aware of the benefits of consuming wholesome and nutritious, indigenous foods.