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The Strategic Role of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) In Transforming Uganda’s Agricultural Future

World Vision, in a synergistic endeavor with the Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE) and the FMNR Network Uganda, convened a symposium on the 3rd of August to illuminate a path towards ecological reclamation. The locus of this intellectual congregation was the National Agricultural Show Grounds, a verdant enclave within Jinja District. The overarching leitmotif of this convocation was the potency of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) as a panacea for Uganda’s environmental afflictions.

Uganda’s verdant tapestry is, tragically, marred by a pervasive scourge: land degradation. An estimated forty-two percent of its territorial expanse is afflicted by this ecological malady, a condition exerting an insidious toll upon natural resources, accelerating climatic perturbations, and precipitating a decline in land productivity.

FMNR, a neoteric agricultural paradigm, empowers farmers to become stewards of their environment, nurturing indigenous arboreal life into a verdant canopy. This approach, a paragon of simplicity and efficacy, is a cornerstone of ecological restoration. It is not merely a technical intervention but a catalyst for revitalizing hope, productivity, and resilience within rural communities.

As Sunday Bob George, a luminary in the realm of agricultural science, eloquently articulated, “Land degradation on a global scale is a crisis of epic proportions, and Africa is its epicenter. Uganda, unfortunately, is no exception. With land as a finite resource, we must exercise judicious stewardship and embrace innovative practices such as FMNR to restore our imperiled ecosystems.”

Baluku Stephen, the vanguard of World Vision Uganda’s FMNR Catalyst Project, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “Our land management practices are unsustainable. The wanton extirpation of trees has rendered our soils barren and unproductive,” he lamented.

Stephen Baluku, Project Manager, FMNR Catalyst Project, World Vision speaking to Participants during the Symposium.

Ocitti Tom, the erudite General Secretary of the Uganda National Farmers Federation, underscored the socio-economic implications of ecological degradation. “Uganda’s landscape is a battleground between deforestation, desertification, and climate change. The livelihoods of seventy-two percent of our population, who are predominantly agrarian, are inextricably linked to the health of our land.”

Ocitti Sam, Secretary General, UNFFE making remarks during the Symposium

World Vision International has made a solemn commitment to restore two billion hectares of degraded landscapes globally. Uganda, in alignment with this noble aspiration, has pledged to reclaim two million hectares through FMNR and complementary reforestation initiatives. This endeavor is a harmonious convergence with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in eradicating poverty, ensuring food security, mitigating climate change, and preserving terrestrial ecosystems. Moreover, it is a strategic alignment with Uganda’s National Development Plan III.

One participant remarked during the symposium that the government’s contribution to the initiative should not dwindle after the summit.
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