Uganda's organic future unveiled at agroecology fair in Kampala

KAMPALA - The stalls at Hotel Africana in Kampala were graced with a range of items from herbs and traditional foods to neatly packaged organic products ready for export.

From October 27, 2025,  the four days showcased Uganda’s growing confidence in sustainable farming and natural food production.

The exhibition space at the hotel was a hive of colour, music, and innovation as all roads led there for the annual Agroecology Fair - a four-day celebration of the 30th anniversary of Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) in Uganda.

Each community proudly displayed its ancestral cuisines and showcased ingenious methods of coping with droughts and floods - a testimony to Uganda’s deep-rooted knowledge of food security and environmental resilience.

Beyond the serious business of markets and sustainability, the fair had a festive air. Some stalls served piping-hot coffee, others offered calabashes of ajon (millet beer), local bottled wines, and a tempting spread of traditional snacks. Visitors mingled with students, researchers, and international partners, all drawn by the same passion for sustainable agriculture.

Visitors to the exhibition grounds were greeted with stalls filled organic produce, including Mulondo juice, organic honey, millet flour, ghee, and an array of traditional herbal remedies.

“This Fair is proof that Uganda is ready to tap into the booming organic food business, currently valued at over $2.7 billion globally,” declared Fred Kyakulaga Bwino, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, on Friday.

He noted that the East African region and global markets are hungry for natural, traceable, and environmentally friendly foods - a niche Uganda is perfectly positioned to fill.

Throughout the Fair, farmers, youth groups, and cooperatives exchanged ideas and experiences, creating networks that stretched beyond the exhibition halls. It was a space not just for display, but for dialogue and discovery - where traditional wisdom met modern practice.

Josephine Akia, Country Coordinator of PELUM Uganda, encouraged participants to blend ancestral farming knowledge with innovative techniques to achieve food security and improve livelihoods.

“Countless opportunities are waiting to be harnessed, especially for the youth and women, who make up the majority of our population. This year’s theme - Accelerating Agroecology Transitions for Sustainability: Reshaping Policy, Markets, Finance and Practice for Transformative Change - is a call to rethink how we produce, market, and consume food,” Akia said.

She emphasised that agroecology is not only about farming methods but also about reshaping economies to work for people and the planet.

The Master of Ceremony, Abbey Mukiibi, kept the audience entertained with lively quizzes that tested their knowledge of Uganda’s diverse culinary heritage - from eshabwe of western Uganda and luwombo from Buganda to malakwanyi, a delicacy from the north. Laughter, learning, and cultural exchange filled the air.

By the end of the four days, one message had sunk in - Uganda’s agroecology movement is thriving. 

From the smallest farmer to the biggest agribusiness, there’s growing recognition that the future of food lies in sustainability, resilience, and respect for nature.

The climax of the fair was pure nostalgia and rhythm. Legendary singer Joanita Kawalya lit up the event with Afrigo Band's timeless hits like Jim Wange and Spidi Kendezako, pulling even the most reserved guests to their feet.

As the music faded and the stalls packed up, participants carried home more than just products and pamphlets - they left inspired, connected, and ready to make agroecology not just a practice, but a way of life.