Farmer field schools: cultivating collaborative innovation for synergies in water, energy and food security in Uganda

The report advocates for the scaling of farmer field schools (FFS) in Uganda to address gaps in the national agricultural extension system and improve the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus. Based on a 2023 collaborative learning school (CLS) in the Buikwe District, the document argues that FFS can empower farmers through hands-on experimentation and social cohesion, reducing the burden on overstretched government resources. It identifies key barriers such as trust deficits and uneven geographic distribution, and recommends integrating FFS into national policy through university partnerships and financial incentives.

• Farmer field schools (FFS) are identified as a participatory learning approach that empowers farming communities to collaboratively experiment with and adopt agricultural practices, though they typically do not provide physical resources themselves.
• Uganda's agricultural productivity is declining due to soil degradation, high input costs, limited training, and low adoption of innovative technologies, while the government extension system is hampered by inefficiency and distrust in approved technologies.
• A 2023 collaborative learning school (CLS) in the Ddungi Parish of Buikwe District identified limited access to resources (markets, extension, quality inputs, and irrigation water) and threats from soil fertility loss, pests, and unpredictable rainfall as primary challenges to water, energy, and food (WEF) security.
• FFS can alleviate pressure on Uganda's overstretched extension resources by providing a peer-led, context-specific platform that does not rely solely on top-down, externally validated technologies.
• The implementation of FFS in Uganda has historically been uneven, with most programs led by international agencies like USAID and the FAO targeting the cattle corridor, leaving other regions underserved.
• Potential benefits of FFS include enhanced agricultural knowledge, improved crop productivity, and increased climate change resilience through strategies like crop diversification and sustainable water management.
• Key challenges to the FFS model in Uganda include trust deficits within communities, a mismatch between bottom-up community priorities and top-down government planning (such as the Parish focus), and limited geographic accessibility.

APA

Richards, S. C., Adule, K., Johnson, J. W., Schlemm, A., Taguta, C., Hishe, B. K., Kayendeke, E., Kyazze, F. B., Kansiime, F., Djenontin, I. N. S., Muriithi, L., Jiménez, S. U., Maina, T. M., Morrone, V., Huber-Lee, A., & Daher, B. (2025). Farmer field schools: cultivating collaborative innovation for synergies in water, energy and food security in Uganda. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/farmer-field-schools-water-energy-food-security-uganda.pdf

Chicago

Richards, Sarah C., Kenan Adule, Jacob W. Johnson, Annika Schlemm, Cuthbert Taguta, Birhanu Kindishih Hishe, Ellen Kayendeke, et al. Farmer field schools: cultivating collaborative innovation for synergies in water, energy and food security in Uganda. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2025. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/farmer-field-schools-water-energy-food-security-uganda.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{richards2025farmer, author = {Richards, Sarah C. and Adule, Kenan and Johnson, Jacob W. and Schlemm, Annika and Taguta, Cuthbert and Hishe, Birhanu Kindishih and Kayendeke, Ellen and Kyazze, Florence Birungi and Kansiime, Frank and Djenontin, Ida N. S. and Muriithi, Lydia and Jiménez, Silvia Ulloa and Maina, Tendai Muindisi and Morrone, Vicki and Huber-Lee, Annette and Daher, Bassel}, title = {{Farmer field schools: cultivating collaborative innovation for synergies in water, energy and food security in Uganda}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/farmer-field-schools-water-energy-food-security-uganda.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }