NGO pushes for agroecology to boost production of indigenous seeds, restore soil fertility
AMOLATAR, October 9, 2026 — A non-governmental organisation [NGO] working with communities in northern Uganda has called on government to promote agroecological practices if farmers in the country are to improve production of indigenous seeds, restore soil fertility and protect biodiversity of the soil.
The call was made by Joyce Akello, Executive Director of Facilitation for Peace and Development [FAPAD], during the first Agroecology Symposium, held recently in Amolatar district under the theme, “Connect, Collaborate, and Co-create in Promoting Agroecology.”
Akello said agroecology enables farmers to draw on indigenous knowledge about seeds and biodiversity, make use of locally available resources, and embrace appropriate innovations, research and technologies.
She said farmers in Uganda are currently constrained by low yields amid changing weather patterns that make agricultural production increasingly difficult.
“When we talk about agroecology, we are not only talking about agricultural production; we are talking about food, livelihoods, climate resilience, biodiversity, land, culture, markets and the dignity of the people who produce food,” Akello said.
“Farmers are increasingly confronted with changing rainfall patterns, drought, declining soil fertility, land pressures, high production costs, limited access to markets and other economic challenges. This means that we must rethink how we produce food, how we manage our natural resources and how agricultural value chains are organised.”
Akello, however, said many farmers have increasingly preferred genetically modified and commercially packaged seeds because they mature quickly, without fully considering what she described as their potential long-term effects on soil health and human health.
At present, FAPAD is working to encourage farmers to adopt local and agroecological farming practices despite what Akello described as a widespread perception that indigenous farming methods are time-consuming.
“The challenges that we are meeting are that when you look at these practices, some of them are really long. When you look at fertilisers that are locally made to boost soil fertility, they are not fast-acting like inorganic ones,” she said.
“You find that a farmer may need seeds to grow so fast and, at the end of the day, they will feel that much time is wasted. So they end up going for those fast-growing seeds, pesticides and fertilisers because they are fast-acting, but then the impact on the soil and plants is later not really good.”
Akello also expressed concern that increased reliance on commercially produced seeds could undermine the preservation of indigenous seed varieties.
“With the seeds that we are planting right now, there are a lot of negativities that are coming with it. You can’t plant any other local seeds and they grow up,” she said.
“If government really thinks well for the generation of Uganda, then they should discourage the manufacture of these chemicals and even the importation because we are killing our future and the generations to come. I’m afraid that in five generations to come, some of them might never know about some of these seeds,” she said.
Akello also linked the use of agricultural chemicals to health problems, including cancer, although she did not cite specific scientific evidence to support the claim.
“We are here encouraging farmers to go back to the traditional practice of producing original seeds and discouraging seeds which are genetically modified so that we see how we can curb these diseases and bring back the nutritious foods that we were consuming.”
Vicky Okwany, a resident of Ngaibyata village in Amolatar district, said adopting agroecological farming practices had helped improve her farming.
Okwany said she previously relied heavily on commercially purchased seeds and chemical pesticides, but has since learnt how to preserve her own seeds and make organic fertilisers and pesticides.
“I used to spray my crops and, if I didn’t, I felt like I wouldn’t get anything. I used to buy seeds from the shops and take them to the garden. After the seeds germinating, I would start buying pesticides to spray them,” she said, adding that she now has the knowledge to preserve seeds for planting after joining FAPAD.
On his part, Henry Alami Naputal, the Operations Manager at Fidena Agric Uganda Limited, encouraged farmers to explore locally available alternatives for controlling pests.
He said ash could be applied to crops in the early morning when there is dew, although farmers should ensure that any pest-control method they use is safe and appropriate for the crop.
“In the past, people were using conventional chemicals like ash to spray their crops against pests, and we can also adopt this,” Alami said.
“You go in the morning when the dew is still on and you just spray. After it dissolves, it will become soda ash, which becomes so bitter to the point that no insect can eat the flowers of the plants.”
However, Dr Barnabas Mudde, a Senior Research Officer at Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute [Ngetta ZARDI], cautioned farmers against careless use of agricultural chemicals.
He said farmers should follow instructions on product labels, use protective equipment and apply pesticides responsibly to minimise risks to people, crops and the environment.
“Agricultural chemicals should be used judiciously. Sometimes farmers don’t have enough knowledge on how to use some of these chemicals. They do not use protective equipment, they don’t use the labels and they don’t apply them correctly,” Mudde said.
He also advised farmers to rotate pesticides where appropriate to reduce the risk of pests developing resistance.
“For example, there are insecticides which pests have now become resistant to, so farmers need to rotate the pesticides and use those to which the pests are not resistant,” he said.
Mudde confirmed that some agricultural chemicals had been banned, urging farmers to stop using products prohibited by government.
“There are those which have been banned by the Ministry of Agriculture and farmers should stop using those because they have been found to be harmful to the environment, farmers and crops,” he said.
He added that research was ongoing to identify potentially harmful chemicals and assess their effects.
“There is research which is being done at a more advanced level and we are able to identify cancer-causing chemicals in some of these chemicals which are being used. Once these discoveries are made, we shall communicate them to the Ministry of Agriculture,” Mudde said.
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