The three-day CSO’s Food Systems Coordination meeting organized by Oxfam and Food Rights Alliance, FRA, in Entebbe is meant to contribute toward the realization of sustainable food systems that ensure access to sufficient safe and nutritious food by all. The event, which kicked off from November 6, 2024, brought together in one room critical stakeholders, including CSOs, government officials, farmers, and private sector representatives, to build a common platform through which issues concerning food security and healthy diets will be pursued. In support of vulnerable populations most of all, the forum explored ways of making nutrient foods accessible, available, and environmentally viable.

Guest of Honour, Commissioner Edward Fredrick Walugembe of the National Food Systems Coordination Committee, NFSCC, gave a passionate call to civil society to take the lead in front towards the reformation of food systems. He called upon the CSOs to act vis-à-vis as the leading advocates, watchdogs, and leaders in the transformation of Uganda’s Food Systems towards becoming public health-centered, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable. We need civil society to lead in advocacy and implementation through a whole-of-society approach. Our challenge remains at coordinated advocacy-our work can only meet barriers to food security and all Ugandans having access to nutritious foods by working together,” Walugembe emphasized.

The Commissioner gave a framework for sustained collaboration across CSOs, private sector partners, and academia, entailing dialogue and active participation. He emphasized the need for “vibrant action tracks” that bring together all sectors to deal with food system challenges that are intricate. These joint initiatives, Walugembe reiterated, would compel holistic, multisectoral solutions from the small farmers through to city consumers in line with Uganda’s National Food Action Plan.

The four basic principles to bring about the transformation of food systems for public health and sustainability were explained by Dr. Peter Rukundo, a renowned researcher at Kyambogo University, who delivered the keynote speech at the event. He reminded the audience that people should have access to nutritious, diverse, and safe foods all year round, irrespective of geographical location. For healthy diets to be genuinely supported, nutritious food should be accessible and affordable to all Ugandans; it should be produced in ways that protect the environment and contribute positively to public health,” Rukundo explained.

Dr. Rukundo outlined the four pillars of sustainable, health-oriented food systems:

1. Nutritious Foods Available Throughout the Year: He said that people should have access to a wide variety of safe and nutritional foods throughout the year to fulfill various nutritional requirements in the absence of malnutrition.

2. Accessibility: Healthy diets must be economically accessible for everyone, allowing reduced inequalities in nutrition access.

3. Environmentally Friendly Production: Food is to be produced in ways which minimize damage to the environment and deplete ecosystems for their care and replenishment over generations.

4. Informed and Empowered Populations: Communities need knowledge, information, and skills on healthy dietary choices to nurture the demand for nutritious foods and ensure that food approaches are sustainable.

He said these principles provide the foundational core of food systems that not only address malnutrition and diet-related diseases but contribute to a reduction in the environmental footprint of Uganda. According to him, poor nutrition is a predisposing factor to non-communicable diseases, so there was a great need to propagate healthy eating as part of the overall public health strategy. “Transforming food systems along these lines gives Uganda a fresh start toward healthier, stronger communities that can make informed choices of foods,” he said.

Independence and Sustainable Funding Critical for CSO Advocacy

During a discussion on the resourcing needs of CSOs, Kirabo Agnes, Executive Director of FRA, reminded the audience that financial independence was indeed vital in performing effective advocacy. She appreciated the support coming from Oxfam, which has helped FRA and other CSOs establish viable ways of funding without infringing on their autonomy. “For us to champion food system reforms effectively, we must be well-resourced to avoid compromising our independence. According to Kirabo, equal treatment in discussions on food systems at the national level ensures that civil society’s voice is heard. She has struck a careful balance in funding so that reliance on external resources does not bear with it an agenda that may not align with local needs of advocacy.

Kirabo went ahead to say that CSOs need to strive to a situation where they are self-sustaining in terms of funding so they can be impartial voices for communities, especially those having a problem of food security. “The mechanism we are building with Oxfam gives us the feeling of ownership and the flexibility of working on our own terms”, she said, emphasizing the need for CSOs to devise resource mechanisms independent of themselves. This approach empowers the CSOs to come up with an appropriate response to food security and nutrition issues without pressure from outside.

Knowledge and Collaboration to Enhance Food Security

Throughout the event, participants also focused on developing “knowledge products” that could help inform more general food systems reform efforts. The knowledge products are targeted at documenting observations and experiences from CSOs on the ground for actionable insights to other stakeholders involved in the food value chain. The CSOs hope that sharing such knowledge will contribute to enriching understanding and coordination among farmers, government agencies, and other food system actors.

A Healthier, Sustainable Future for All Ugandans

The CSO Food Systems Coordination Meeting concluded with the commitment of partners for further collaboration and consultation. Partners agreed to create regular forums as fundamental to aligning efforts toward resilient food systems that contribute to public health. From henceforth, this collaboration would seek assurance that the diversified needs within various communities of Uganda-from rural farmers to urban street vendors-are put into consideration, and safe, nutritious, affordable food is available to all.

With each passing day, while these CSOs, government representatives, and other private sector stakeholders continue to press onward with collaborative work, Uganda will mark a path toward a sustainable future of resilient food systems, empowered communities, and healthier diets for all.