Local Food Aid Procurement in Uganda
Abstract
This report is the first of two case studies that document the initial findings of a research project to develop good practice guidelines for maximising the developmental impact of local and regional food aid procurement. The report focuses on Uganda, with a particular emphasis on maize and on procurement by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Findings from this study will inform a final position paper that draws also on insights from the second case study (Ethiopia) and from a literature review.
In Uganda food aid is required to support both refugees and internally displaced people. Uganda is also the source of some of the food aid purchased for surrounding countries, in particular Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Local food aid purchases, alongside cross-border exports to Kenya, have been driving the development of the Ugandan maize sub-sector, generating significant employment and income in the farming and trading sectors and benefiting a wide range of other service providers. Local procurement activities have also provided a stimulus to the production and marketing of beans, and are behind the emergence of a small blended-foods manufacturing sector. Nevertheless, WFP purchases may have had an adverse impact on regional trade.
There is scope for improving local food aid procurement activities in Uganda while contributing to the development of domestic grain marketing systems and the transition towards more sustainable markets.
This case study examines the agricultural sector in Uganda, the maize sub-sector in Uganda, WFP local food aid procurement activities in Uganda, and the impact of local food aid procurement. Conclusions and recommendations are also presented.
Citation
Local Food Aid Procurement in Uganda, Natural Resources Institute, Chatham, UK, x + 51 pp.
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