The Feed the Future Uganda Inclusive Agricultural Markets (FtF IAM) Activity, is a USAID-funded, five-year activity implemented by DAI Global LLC. The Activity seeks to increase incomes and improve the livelihoods of households through agriculture-led inclusive economic growth in 38 districts across four regions: Western, Eastern, Northern, and the Karamoja sub-region. Inclusivity refers to the active participation and engagement of all actors looking to participate in the market system including the poor, women, youth, ethnic minorities, or other marginalized groups who are often excluded or even exploited by the traditional market systems.
FtF IAM interventions aim to increase the competitiveness, inclusivity, and resilience of Uganda’s market systems. The Activity leverages USAID funds to de-risk investments and builds the capacity of local market actors who are best positioned to drive and sustain change. FtF IAM support enables enterprises, individuals, and government agencies to respond to opportunities within the agricultural sector.
FtF IAM places women, youth, and other marginalized groups at the core of its strategies and focuses on creating efficiencies in cross-market functions that influence systemic changes in order to have a sustainable impact on the agricultural sector and the country. The approach empowers and incentivizes local actors, especially the private sector, government, and producer groups, among others, to take risks and drive inclusive innovation for improved market performance.
The Activity contributes to the Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS) Uganda goal of reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty and the USAID/Uganda Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2016-2021 five-year goal of strengthening Uganda’s systems to accelerate inclusive education, health, and economic outcomes.
The following are the expected results of the FtF IAM Activity:
- Increased transformation and upgrading of agricultural commodities
- Increased and equitable utilization of quality inputs and services.
- Increased capacity of market actors to profitably engage in the agricultural market.
- Strengthened implementation and enforcement of rules and regulations.
- Strengthened inter and intra-actor relationships.
The above results will be achieved through the following entry points:
- Increasing the institutional (leadership, management, technical, adaptive, etc.) capacity of the government of Uganda (GoU) institutions and agencies.
- Increasing the institutional (leadership, management, technical, adaptive, etc.) capacity of the private sector and civil society organizations.
- Creating incentives for agro-industry and agribusiness firms to respond to changes in the market system and invest in it.