By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa/Umoja Standard.
Kansanga, Kampala-Uganda: The three day East African Food Security Symposium and Expo 2022 was conducted at International University of East Africa with a major aim of raising awareness and create a linkage between Climate
Change and Food Security; and brought together a number of stakeholders who included farmers, Civil Society Organizations, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Development partners and the entire population to deliberate on different topics related to climate change and food security and come up with
sustainable solutions.
Betty Rose Aguti, the Policy and Advocacy Specialist at Caritas Uganda and who also doubles as the National Coordinator of the Uganda Farmers Common Voice Platform said that in the recent past the country has been grappling with food insecurity all caused by dynamics in climate change, which has affecting food production systems.
Ms. Betty Rose Aguti tours one of the stalls at the Expo. Photo by Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa.
“Climate change has led to a number of dry spells, floods in different place; justifying the need for the symposium in order to raise awareness such that people get to know that whatever they do, contributes to climate changes and affects food security systems- leading to food systems breakdown”. Betty said.
She admitted that it was the reason Caritas Uganda partnered with the different stakeholders to upscale awareness dissemination, while at the same time giving small holder farmers a platform to showcase different value chains that include but not limited to coffee, fish, bio-products, energy saving stoves, solar cook stover by ECOCA East Africa and others.
“For-example we have fish farmers who are showing people how they rear fish without doing it in the wetlands but at home through aquaculture”. Betty remarked.
She added that the event had also given members of the Uganda Farmers Common Voice Platform an opportunity to show the world what they do in different regions of Uganda in their different chapters.
Joseph Mulado the Director of Lusado organic partners with Caritas Uganda revealed that they complement to food security by drying excess food using solar driers that would be wasted to ensure food security.
He said that when that food is dried, it is then turned to powder form and processed hygienically to facilitate its safety for longer period such that it can used in a long run.
He added that they also make aloe vera soap from aloe vera plant and also use crude oils that would be wasted into river channels so it is put use there by conserving environment.
He said that they decided to make research on candle nut that they use to produce many products and in this they are meant to plant the nut as trees that conserve the environment.
The story of Kyeyune Rashid from African Power initiative was not different from the latter. He told Umoja Standard that they make use of candle nuts to make bio diesel.
He added that the products from the nut say bio-diesel for engines of vehicles, body oils like glycine, body oils like glycine, briquets for energy saving and others that help farmers/entrepreneurs to earn income but also give
“I have seen many people cut trees mainly for channel, timber and others but it is relevant to understand the use of trees to our environment”. He added.
The 2022 edition of the East Africa Food Security Symposium and Expo, an annual global was held at the International University of East Africa (IUEA) -Kampala, between the 14th to 16th October 2022 at the International University of East Africa, under the theme “Linking Climate Change, Food security, Nutrition and Wellbeing.”
PICTORIAL OF MAJOR EVNTS AT THE EXPO.
