The role of rural organisations in the promotion of sustainable land management practices in Uganda : the case of Kapchorwa and Masindi Districts

Abstract

In Sub-Saharan Africa, 60 percent of the people directly derive their livelihoods from agriculture, freshwater fisheries, forestry, and other natural resources. This has placed considerable pressure on the natural resources resulting in a gradually changing landscape through clearing tropical forests, practicing subsistence agriculture, and expanding urban centers. This study assessed the role of rural organisations in promoting sustainable land management (SLM) practices in Masindi and Kapchorwa districts of Uganda. The study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The field socio-economic data was collected based on purposive sampling and a combination of cluster and systematic random sampling in the selection of respondents. The data was collected by carrying out key informant interviews, focus group discussions, document reviews, and face-to-face structured interviews in the sampled districts. The collected data was analysed using Logistic binary regression model procedures to assess the determinants of the adoption of sustainable land management practices by the farmers. The results revealed that the farmers in Kapchorwa District were more experienced in SLM practices than their counterparts in Masindi and thus adopted more land conservation practices. With respect to gender disparities, there was significantly fewer women participation in the adoption of sustainable land management practices. Agricultural production and marketing were the major services offered by the farmer groups in the sampled districts. Farm size, membership/subscription fees, and household size were the major determinants of farmer participation in the farmer groups. The farmer’s experience, the education level of the household head, and the number of training received in SLM practices had a significant contribution to the adoption of the SLM practices across the study population. The majority of the farmers changed from monoculture to intercropping and intensified mixed farming on joining the farmer groups in Masindi, while most farmers in Kapchorwa shifted from monoculture to either intercropping or organic farming as a strategy to maximize production given their smaller farms sizes. The study recommends that there is a need for intensification of farmer training in sustainable land management especially by strengthening the functional adult literacy programs within the farmer groups that are providing this vital service to its members.