FARA policy briefs

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://aaspace.org//handle/20.500.14659/59

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    Digital Connection for Farming Communities (Uganda)
    (AFAAS, 2025) AFAAS, UFAAS
    The brief reports a district policy dialogue and innovation platform needs assessment held in Luwero and Bugiri with civil servants, politicians, technical staff, farmers, farmer organizations and financial institutions. Participants reviewed national policies relevant to digital extension, including the National Strategy for Youth Employment (2017), the ICT Policy (2014), the MAAIF ICT strategy for agriculture (2019–2023) and Vision 2040, and found that they support the digital connectors model. Uptake of e-extension remains low because of the cost of devices, internet and electricity, poor rural networks, limited digital skills and weak collaboration between NGOs, government and research. Recommendations include capacity building for digital connectors and farmers, cheaper rural electricity, subsidized ICT devices and digitally accessed inputs, lower taxes on internet services, digital hubs and multi-stakeholder platforms.
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    Enhancing climate adaptation through the digital connectors model for agricultural extension in Uganda
    (ASARECA, 2026-01) Okonya, Joshua Sikhu (ASARECA); BenBella, Bashir (AFAAS); Antwi, Kwaku Dei (FARA)
    Uganda's public extension worker-to-farmer ratio of about 1:1,800, against an FAO benchmark of 1:500, cannot support uptake of knowledge-intensive climate-smart technologies, innovations, management practices and services (TIMPS). Drawing on the AIRTEA DC4FC project, which trained nine youth digital connectors serving nearly 10,000 members of the ZAABTA (Luweero) and BAIDA (Bugiri) innovation platforms, the brief shows that face-to-face training combined with phones raises access to and demand for climate-smart TIMPS. A 5% commission from input companies sustains connectors' work with women and youth farmers. Barriers include low trust in pre-payment models, farmers' reluctance to pay for advice, and the lack of return-on-investment models for extension. Recommendations cover digital literacy, phone and connectivity costs, a shared digital content repository, ROI models, seed capital for youth agritech, tax incentives, and accreditation of digital connectors within MAAIF/UFAAS.