Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices for improving the livelihoods of refugees in northern Uganda.

Abstract

Uganda has significantly continued to receive a large number of refugees in the region and this is positively correlated with its proportional increase in peace and stability. The presence of favorable climatic conditions enhances agricultural productivity and this has triggered redirecting of refugees into agricultural production as the major source of livelihood. However, in Ugandan setting, it has not yet been clearly established how adoption of sustainable agricultural practices has enhanced the livelihoods of the refugees. The study therefore aimed at determining the extent of adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, factors influencing the adoption and effect of adoption on the livelihoods of refugees in Palabek refugee settlement. The study utilized a cross-sectional design to analyze the contribution of adoption of SAPs in the enhancement of livelihoods in the context of a single settlement and a sample size of 278 respondents was chosen using simple random sampling and a questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data while a focus group discussion and interview guide was used to collect qualitative data from the respondents. The study results revealed that crop production is the main agricultural activity practiced by refugees living in Palabek refugee settlement in a bid to improve on their food security and household incomes. The study further revealed that diseases, limited land and limited technical support are the most serious challenges hindering adoption of SAPs by refugees. It is concluded that food security in Palabek refugee settlement is rather influenced by agricultural production and the associated dynamics that ultimately determine the well-being of the refugee communities. It is important to appreciate that any variation in factors of production, weather and land will determine livelihood status of the community for such a specific period of time. It’s recommended that refugees should adopt SAPs to mitigate effects of climate change, supporting the refugees with training on SAPs and other agricultural inputs like, farming tools, land, farmers training, improved seeds which are high yielding and quick maturing for improved productivity and production.