Dissemination and adoption of climate-smart farming systems: A case of elite pasture production, agro-forestry and water management schemes in Uganda

The Ugandan cattle corridor is not only a host to the oorest rural households characterized by severe livelihood challenges but also defined by poor soils, semi-arid to dry sub-humid climatic conditions with poorly distributed rainfall. Such a tragic state of affairs if persistent will not make it impossible to economically empower rangeland inhabitants to progress to middle-income status as defined in the NDPII and Vision 2040. The beef sub-sector in the rangeland ecologies has been made more vulnerable due to local cattle breeds with poor genetic potential, rudimentary rearing practices, degraded pasture lands, weak market actors, water scarcity, poor feeding practices, and feed conservation agenda. AGRENES (https://agrenes.org/) and NARO-NaLIRRI (https://nalirri.or.ug/ ) executed an EU-funded project: ‘Improving competitiveness and productivity of the beef sub-sector through fostering gender-responsive, inclusive and sustainable rangeland, agroforestry and water resources (RAWM-RAWM)’. The main aim of the MOBIP-RAWM project was to build the capacity of farmers, district and sub-county actors in the sustainable pasture, agro-forestry, and integrated water management systems. Vibrant, local multi-disciplinary teams were formed to oversee routine establishmet, operations, manage and maintain the new water facilities, infrastructures, agro-forestry and forage nurseries and gardens. Farmers and district actors were supported with elite forage species, conserved feed, hay-making machinery and equipment with the community-owned commercialized spare parts, maintenance and repair services attached in a cost-sharing arrangement. . The complementarity of diversified agro-inputs, seedlings and support products and services regarding agro-forestry with multi-purpose trees as tree cover, fodder, medicinal, firewood, and fruit trees and energy saving sources increased adoption in several communities across the entire cattle corridor. The Domains of Change for the MOBIP-RAWMN action included: i) building or strengthening the capacity of beef farmers, stakeholders, value-cahin actors and end-users, including the district actors and private sector; ii) consideration of gender inclusivity, transformative interventions targeting the most disadvantaged women and youth groups; iii) changes in policies, budgeting and investment priorities at farm level, district and sub-county local governments and society structures to favour mainstreaming, scaling and spillover effects of the project interventions. Key words: Beef production, Integrated Water Management, Agro-Forestry