From Climate Victims to Climate Leaders

The fields of Kikuube District tell a story of transformation. Where once farmers struggled with unpredictable harvests due to changing weather patterns, young agricultural entrepreneurs are now implementing innovative, climate-smart techniques that are revolutionizing farming in western Uganda.

The Climate Challenge

For decades, smallholder farmers in Uganda’s Albertine region have depended on rain-fed agriculture. But climate change has made rainfall patterns increasingly unpredictable. Longer dry spells, intense storms, and new pests have threatened food security and livelihoods, particularly for young people trying to enter agriculture.

“Before GTYI’s training, I saw farming as a last resort—something you do when you have no other options,” says 24-year-old David, who returned to his village after completing secondary education. “I had tried growing maize using my father’s methods, but the crops kept failing.”

The Transformation

David’s perspective changed when he joined GTYI’s Climate-Smart Sustainable Agriculture program. Through our Farmer Field Centre, he learned about:

• Agro-ecology: Integrating trees with crops to improve soil fertility and provide shade

• Water harvesting: Building simple systems to collect and store rainwater for irrigation during dry spells

• Natural pest management: Using local plants instead of expensive chemicals to control pests

• Crop diversification: Growing multiple crops to ensure food security even if one crop fails

“GTYI didn’t just teach us what to do,” David explains. “They showed us how these methods could be profitable. They connected us with markets and taught us about value addition.”