Decentralization and rural service delivery in Uganda:

Decentralization, Development strategies, rural service delivery,

Explaining Poverty in Uganda: Evidence from the Uganda National Household Survey

The broad aim of the research was to establish a tool for identifying cost effective poverty alleviation strategies in Uganda. The objectives were to test hypotheses on causes of poverty in Uganda and to develop a poverty simulation model for policy analysis. Data for 9,710 households from the 2002/2003 Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) was used to estimate a semi-log econometric model. The model included 19 households level characteristics and 8 community level characteristics as explanatory variables. The dependent variable was the natural logarithm of household consumption per adult equivalent. The model was estimated at both national and regional (5 regions) by weighted least squares with robust variance. The results identified 8 particularly promising poverty reducing policies namely: expansion of formal employment, secondary education, reduction in population growth, rural electrification, off-farm activities, collateral free credit, telephone services and reducing distance to community services. The study highlights the policy implications of the results.Food Security and Poverty,

Determinants of Land Use in the Densely Populated Kigezi Highlands of Southwestern Uganda

We use a multinominal logit model to examine the determinants of plot abandonment (unintentional fallows) and long fallows (intentional fallows) in order to propose policy interventions that lead to optimal and sustainable management of land use systems in Kigezi highlands. Household factors such as age, and post primary education positively influenced farmers' decision to abandon plots. Therefore, more fallows and abandoned terraces were common with older farmers compared to younger ones. However, farm size and household type had no significant influence on abandonment of plots. Plot variables such as slope and plot distance had the expected positive signs while soil fertility had a significant negative sign as predicted. Two types of interventions are recommended. Those aimed at highly cultivable, moderate slopes and those aimed at uncultivable and fragile areas. For the former, the probability of adoption and intensity of use of appropriate agrobased interventions is likely to be very high. The latter require specific interventions that are profitable and yet allowing farmers to keep the land under cover for a very long time. Furthermore, we recommend incentives aimed at minimizing distances to plot fields.abandoned terraces, Land use, Kigezi Highlands, multinominal logit, Land Economics/Use,

Determinants of Wellbeing Among Smallholders in Adjumani District, Uganda

An ordered logistic regression model was used to empirically establish the quantitative effects of community identified (local) determinants of wellbeing on the level of household wellbeing. The model was fitted to data for a sample of 200 households collected in the last quarter of 2002. The dependent variable, poverty category, has three levels namely poorest =1, Less poor =2, and Better off =3. Fourteen independent variables are used. Results show that households that own less than 5 acreage of land, that are male headed, have a nonagricultural source of income and are actively involved in agricultural development activities have a higher probability (odds) of enjoying wellbeing above any given level. Land ownership seems to be the most important determinant of wellbeing in Adjumani district. Furthermore, owning livestock and having a household head with an education level of secondary school and above are also important determinants of household wellbeing in Adjumani district. We find household wellbeing to be negatively affected by household size, age of the household head and whether any family member has had any long illness although only the age of the household is significant. We recommend deepening of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and initiation of Universal Secondary Education to increase the education levels of the rural people. We also recommend continued and expansion of community level agricultural development activities, strengthening of the land tenure provisions to enhance access to land and initiation of programs to enhance animal ownership among small holder farmers in Adjumani.Adjumani, poverty analysis, DASS, ordinal logit, Consumer/Household Economics,

Predictors of low birth weight and preterm birth in rural Uganda: findings from a birth cohort study

BACKGROUND: Approximately 20.5 million infants were born weighing <2500 g (defined as low birthweight or LBW) in 2015, primarily in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Infants born LBW, including those born preterm (<37 weeks gestation), are at increased risk for numerous consequences, including neonatal mortality and morbidity as well as suboptimal health and nutritional status later in life. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of LBW and preterm birth among infants in rural Uganda. METHODS: Data were derived from a prospective birth cohort study conducted from 2014–2016 in 12 districts across northern and southwestern Uganda. Birth weights were measured in triplicate to the nearest 0.1 kg by trained enumerators within 72 hours of delivery. Gestational age was calculated from the first day of last menstrual period (LMP). Associations between household, maternal, and infant characteristics and birth outcomes (LBW and preterm birth) were assessed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression with stepwise, backward selection analyses. RESULTS: Among infants in the study, 4.3% were born LBW (143/3,337), and 19.4% were born preterm (744/3,841). In multivariable analysis, mothers who were taller (>150 cm) (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 0.42 (95% CI = 0.24, 0.72)), multigravida (aOR = 0.62 (95% CI = 0.39, 0.97)), or with adequate birth spacing (>24 months) (aOR = 0.60 (95% CI = 0.39, 0.92)) had lower odds of delivering a LBW infant Mothers with severe household food insecurity (aOR = 1.84 (95% CI = 1.22, 2.79)) or who tested positive for malaria during pregnancy (aOR = 2.06 (95% CI = 1.10, 3.85)) had higher odds of delivering a LBW infant. In addition, in multivariable analysis, mothers who resided in the Southwest (aOR = 0.64 (95% CI = 0.54, 0.76)), were ≥20 years old (aOR = 0.76 (95% CI = 0.61, 0.94)), with adequate birth spacing (aOR = 0.76 (95% CI = 0.63, 0.93)), or attended ≥4 antenatal care (ANC) visits (aOR = 0.56 (95% CI = 0.47, 0.67)) had lower odds of delivering a preterm infant; mothers who were neither married nor cohabitating (aOR = 1.42 (95% CI = 1.00, 2.00)) or delivered at home (aOR = 1.25 (95% CI = 1.04, 1.51)) had higher odds. CONCLUSIONS: In rural Uganda, severe household food insecurity, adolescent pregnancy, inadequate birth spacing, malaria infection, suboptimal ANC attendance, and home delivery represent modifiable risk factors associated with higher rates of LBW and/or preterm birth. Future studies on interventions to address these risk factors may be warranted.Published versio

Capacity strengthening strategy through capacity needs assessment for Country Level Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (SAKSS): Uganda

In an effort to accelerate growth and eliminate hunger and poverty, Uganda signed a Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Compact in 2010, thereby agreeing to commit 10 percent of its annual budget toward agriculture and to work toward increasing the sector’s growth by 6 percent annually. To support these objectives, stakeholders need adequate capacities to develop policies and address the country’s food and agriculture needs. The purpose of this 2012 capacity needs assessment is to identify gaps in the agricultural policymaking process caused by limited or nonexistent capacities and develop an action plan to close these gaps.Non-PRIFPRI1; ReSAKSSDSGD; WCAO; ESA

Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics for Eastern, Central and Southern Africa

Program Genesis: Since the 1970s, African economies have under-performed and incomes have declined. Similarly, the agricultural sectors have malfunctioned and agricultural production shrunk despite over two-thirds of the population being dependent on agriculture for survival subjecting them to food insecurity, reduced incomes, massive poverty, unemployment and unsustainable resource utilisation. The decline in agricultural performance was brought about by numerous factors, including markets dynamics that tended to protect the agricultural products of developed nations at the expense of developing economies; persistent institutional weakness and market failures in Africa; poor linkage of policy results to policy making and implementation; poor understanding of environmental impact assessment and management skills for sustainable agricultural development; poor understanding of smallholder agriculture; and inadequate appreciation or understanding of the role of Science, Technology and Information in promoting rapid agricultural and rural development as well as overall economic growth and development. In response to the above situation and the realisation of the changing trends in markets, there arose the need to re-examine ways and means of managing and promoting agricultural development, which forms the backbone of many African economies. It was visualised that one way of tackling the problem was through enhancing capacity for policy analysis in agriculture in order to allow effective generation and supply of relevant information on agricultural production and marketing to policymakers. IFPRI and its 2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture and Environment established a network of researchers in agricultural economics in Eastern Africa in an effort of enhancing the capacity in policy analysis and research. The Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) was established to guide the network in undertaking competitive research grants among other critical activities. After one year in operation, the RAC realised there was a great shortage of skilled manpower to undertake policy analysis research in the region and established a Steering Committee to examine the problem. With financial support from the Rockefeller Foundation, an inquiry by Norman and Obwona was conducted, which revealed there was inadequate capacity for agricultural policy analysis, formulation and implementation. This was blamed on inadequate Agricultural Economics postgraduate training scholarships to overseas universities in particular and limited Governments support for postgraduate training locally due to budgetary constraints. The Steering Committee suggested that a sustainable cost effective capacity building mechanism was seriously needed to help resolve problems that were being experienced in institutions of higher learning. To put the mechanism in place, a conference involving Heads of Departments of Agricultural Economics in Eastern and Southern Africa, and other participants from the private and public sectors was convened in November 2002 to examine the future challenges to agricultural economics. The conference adopted that the heads of agricultural economics departments should formulate plans for strengthening agricultural economics training in the region through a Collaborative program. After the conference, heads of departments formed the umbrella body AEEB and started working on the collaborative masters program. The vision of this collaborative program is to train graduates with a solid foundation in economic concepts and methods for applied analysis in the public, civil society and private sectors, as well as offer opportunity for advanced academic pursuits. The main objectives of the program are to: advance Agricultural Economics as a core disciplinary course at MSc level in Eastern & Southern Africa; produce graduates who are conversant with problems facing the agricultural sector in Africa and with the capability to provide practical solutions; set up a system for upgrading the teaching and research capacity of faculties in the participating departments; as well as enhance a collaborative network amongst the many players in agricultural economics

Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics for Eastern, Central and Southern Africa

Program Genesis: Since the 1970s, African economies have under-performed and incomes have declined. Similarly, the agricultural sectors have malfunctioned and agricultural production shrunk despite over two-thirds of the population being dependent on agriculture for survival subjecting them to food insecurity, reduced incomes, massive poverty, unemployment and unsustainable resource utilisation. The decline in agricultural performance was brought about by numerous factors, including markets dynamics that tended to protect the agricultural products of developed nations at the expense of developing economies; persistent institutional weakness and market failures in Africa; poor linkage of policy results to policy making and implementation; poor understanding of environmental impact assessment and management skills for sustainable agricultural development; poor understanding of smallholder agriculture; and inadequate appreciation or understanding of the role of Science, Technology and Information in promoting rapid agricultural and rural development as well as overall economic growth and development. In response to the above situation and the realisation of the changing trends in markets, there arose the need to re-examine ways and means of managing and promoting agricultural development, which forms the backbone of many African economies. It was visualised that one way of tackling the problem was through enhancing capacity for policy analysis in agriculture in order to allow effective generation and supply of relevant information on agricultural production and marketing to policymakers. IFPRI and its 2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture and Environment established a network of researchers in agricultural economics in Eastern Africa in an effort of enhancing the capacity in policy analysis and research. The Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) was established to guide the network in undertaking competitive research grants among other critical activities. After one year in operation, the RAC realised there was a great shortage of skilled manpower to undertake policy analysis research in the region and established a Steering Committee to examine the problem. With financial support from the Rockefeller Foundation, an inquiry by Norman and Obwona was conducted, which revealed there was inadequate capacity for agricultural policy analysis, formulation and implementation. This was blamed on inadequate Agricultural Economics postgraduate training scholarships to overseas universities in particular and limited Governments support for postgraduate training locally due to budgetary constraints. The Steering Committee suggested that a sustainable cost effective capacity building mechanism was seriously needed to help resolve problems that were being experienced in institutions of higher learning. To put the mechanism in place, a conference involving Heads of Departments of Agricultural Economics in Eastern and Southern Africa, and other participants from the private and public sectors was convened in November 2002 to examine the future challenges to agricultural economics. The conference adopted that the heads of agricultural economics departments should formulate plans for strengthening agricultural economics training in the region through a Collaborative program. After the conference, heads of departments formed the umbrella body AEEB and started working on the collaborative masters program. The vision of this collaborative program is to train graduates with a solid foundation in economic concepts and methods for applied analysis in the public, civil society and private sectors, as well as offer opportunity for advanced academic pursuits. The main objectives of the program are to: advance Agricultural Economics as a core disciplinary course at MSc level in Eastern & Southern Africa; produce graduates who are conversant with problems facing the agricultural sector in Africa and with the capability to provide practical solutions; set up a system for upgrading the teaching and research capacity of faculties in the participating departments; as well as enhance a collaborative network amongst the many players in agricultural economics.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Labour-saving technologies mitigate the effect of women’s agriculture time-use constraints on stunting in rural Uganda

Women’s time allocation is a dimension of women’s empowerment in agriculture, and is recognised as a pathway through which agriculture can affect child nutritional status in developing countries. Longer hours of farm work can potentially increase women’s time constraints, reducing the time allocated to child-caring responsibilities and raising the risk of poor child nutritional status. Using a three-wave household panel dataset from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Nutrition surveys in the north and southwest of Uganda, we tested the hypothesis that the negative effect of women’s agriculture time-use constraints on child stunting is mitigated for households that use labour or timesaving agricultural technologies (LSATs). The results show a positive and significant association between the number of hours per day that women spend on agricultural work and the risk of stunting in children aged zero to 23 months who live in households that do not use animal traction for ploughing. However, this association is statistically insignificant, and even turns negative for households that adopted the labour-saving technology. Our findings indicate that LSATs have the potential to lessen a household’s agricultural workload, giving mothers more child-caring time, and hence improving child nutritional status. Therefore, agriculture could have better nutritional outcomes if policies and programmes were designed to have interventions that reduce the workload in farming activities and thus reduce pressure on women’s time