Agriculture
Technical Areas
Agriculture
Agriculture remains one of the most powerful tools for ending extreme poverty, boosting shared prosperity, and feeding a projected global population of 9.7 billion by 2050. For the 80% of the world’s poor who live in rural areas and rely heavily on farming, the sector is central to livelihoods, nutrition, and climate resilience. However, agriculture today faces mounting challenges ranging from land degradation and climate change to market volatility and weak rural infrastructure. At Bodmando, we support agriculture as a driver of inclusive development and community transformation.
Technical Areas
Global and Regional Context of Agriculture
Globally, agriculture contributes around 4% of GDP but employs over 27% of the global workforce, with even higher rates in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The sector is under increasing stress from changing weather patterns, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and insecure land tenure systems.
- In Africa, over 60% of the population is employed in agriculture, yet yields remain low due to limited mechanization, poor access to finance, and minimal research uptake. Climate variability continues to threaten productivity and livelihoods.
- Uganda, like many African countries, has agriculture as the backbone of its economy employing over 70% of the population. Yet, rural farmers face persistent challenges such as poor infrastructure, lack of extension services, and weak linkages to markets.
- Global initiatives such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the United Nations Food Systems Summit aim to promote sustainable, climate-resilient, and equitable food systems.
Technical Areas
Key Challenges in Agriculture
- Climate change is exacerbating droughts, floods, and pest outbreaks, negatively impacting crop yields and food security.
- Smallholder farmers, who produce over 80% of the food in many developing countries, often lack access to quality inputs, credit, and markets.
- Gender inequalities in land ownership and decision-making power undermine the potential of women farmers.
- Youth are increasingly disengaged from farming due to its perceived low profitability and lack of modernization.
- Weak agricultural data systems hinder evidence-based policymaking and investment targeting.
Technical Areas
Emerging Opportunities
- Digital agriculture and agri-tech innovations are transforming value chains, offering real-time data, precision farming, and better market access.
- Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) provides pathways for adaptation, mitigation, and improved resilience.
- Increased investment in research and extension services is bridging knowledge gaps and driving innovation.
- Public-private partnerships are creating inclusive agribusiness ecosystems and empowering farmer cooperatives.
- Agroecological practices are gaining momentum as sustainable alternatives to intensive farming systems.
Sustainable Development Goals and Agriculture
Agriculture is central to achieving SDG 2: Zero Hunger, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. It also intersects with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). Bodmando’s work in agriculture aligns with these global goals by fostering resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural systems that improve livelihoods and food systems at scale.
FAO
The future of agriculture lies not only in growing more food, but in growing it sustainably, inclusively, and wisely.
Technical Areas
What Bodmando Does
- We design and implement Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) frameworks tailored to agriculture and food security programs, using participatory tools to ensure inclusion and learning.
- We conduct in-depth program and impact evaluations that help refine interventions, increase accountability, and inform scale-up strategies.
- Through capacity strengthening initiatives, we equip agricultural institutions, farmer organizations, and youth groups with skills in project management, data use, and adaptive planning.
- Our integrated approach promotes sustainable practices, agroecology, and climate-smart innovations that enhance productivity while protecting ecosystems and empowering marginalized groups.
Technical Areas
References
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2023). The State of Food and Agriculture 2023. https://www.fao.org/publications
- World Bank. (2023). Agriculture and Food. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture
- African Union Commission. (2021). Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). https://au.int/en/caadp
- Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). (2022). Statistical Abstract. https://www.ubos.org
- United Nations. (2021). UN Food Systems Summit Briefs. https://www.un.org/en/food-systems-summit
