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Young Ugandans Harvest Hope: Climate-Smart Farming Powers a Rural Revival.

Uganda
Sustainable agriculture
31.05.2025
In the heart of Uganda’s Busoga region, where vast sugarcane plantations stretch to the horizon and old cane trucks rumble down dusty roads lined with discarded sugarcane peels, something new is quietly unfolding. 
 

EcoProsperity Project, a five-year initiative by Swisscontact funded by the Linsi Foundation, is working towards transforming the economic prospects of 1,200 youths across ten districts in eastern and western Uganda. With 70% of participants being young women, including mothers, the project prioritizes inclusive economic empowerment—by promoting climate-smart agriculture, introducing innovative farming technologies, and strengthening linkages to private sector markets. The initiative is revitalizing rural economies and enabling young people to build sustainable livelihoods.

A voice from the Beneficiaries.

In Budamuli Village, Bulamuti Sub-County, Kamuli District, Eastern Uganda —young farmers like Kange Mary and Kasirye Shafik are reshaping the narrative of resilience in Eastern Uganda. At just 24 and a mother of one, Mary is showing what’s possible with the right mindset and skills. After being introduced to new agricultural opportunities by a Community-Based Facilitator, she transitioned from tailoring which provided only a modest income to farming in November 2024.

Supported by Swisscontact and Trafford a key private Sector Player, Mary planted 435 tomato plants, 130 Cape gooseberries, and 75 passion fruit vines. In just three months , she has harvested and sold over 112 kilograms of tomatoes across four rounds, with five more expected. The gooseberries and passion fruits are yet to mature, offering her sustained income beyond the tomato season.

"With what I’ve earned, I’ve bought poultry, a goat, and I’m saving to buy a cow. Most importantly, I can pay school fees for my daughter."
Kange Mary says proudly.
Kange Mary in her garden, showcasing one of her thriving tomato crop.
A view of the quarter-acre plot where Kange Mary planted 435 tomato plants, 130 Cape gooseberries, and 75 passion fruit vines in November 2024.
The impact doesn’t stop with Mary—it extends to many others like 25-year-old Kasirye Shafik. On his quarter-acre farm in Budamuli Village, Shafik planted 745 tomato plants, 1,300 Cape gooseberries, and 75 passion fruit vines in November 2024. He began harvesting tomatoes in February 2025 and has already completed ten rounds, yielding over 300 kilograms so far. With five more harvests expected by June—and the Cape gooseberries and passion fruits yet to mature—Shafik is poised to earn a steady income well beyond the tomato season.
"With the earnings, I’ve bought a cow, I’m supporting my family, and I plan to expand into animal husbandry. "
Kasirye Shafik, a 25-year-old farmer from Budamuli Village.

Private Sector as Catalyst

The EcoProsperity Project is also building stronger rural economies through strengthening market linkages, as evidenced by the partnership with Trafford, a private sector player. Trafford, a leading regional agribusiness, once faced challenges with inconsistent produce supply. In partnership with Swisscontact, the company adopted a new strategy—working directly with smallholder farmers like Mary and Shafik. In October 2024, they mobilized 600 young farmers, providing them with Agronomic trainings, access to agro-input credit, and direct market linkages.

Furthermore, post-harvest losses—long a persistent challenge—are now being addressed through newly established Community Integrated Centers, strategically located across three sub-counties in the region. Each center has the capacity to serve over 100 farmers, enhancing packaging, storage, and transport processes. As a result, Trafford has increased its export volumes by 50% off taking from the Farmers of Kamuli District , reaching up to 50 tonnes per month during the tomato season, while farmers are reporting income gains of up to 50%.

A wide view of the Community Integrated Center in Budamuli  Village, Bulamuti Sub-County, Kamuli District, Eastern Uganda strategically located near farming communities. The center provides access to agricultural inputs, post-harvest handling (PHH) services, and agricultural extension support.
At a Community Integrated Center in Budamuli  Village, Bulamuti Sub-County, Kamuli District, Eastern Uganda, farmers' produce is loaded onto tricycles for transport to the main collection center 12 Kilometers away.
John Tusasirwe (far right), dressed in an orange-collared shirt, stands with the Swisscontact team at the collection center in Bulamuti Sub-County. In the background, two of his tricycles—part of the fleet used for produce transport—can be seen.
A Trafford staff member sorts freshly harvested red onions at the collection center in Eastern Uganda, Bulamuiti Sub-County.
"Before Swisscontact’s intervention, we were exporting just one tonne of tomatoes weekly, mostly through aggregators. Now we move at least 10 tonnes per week, working directly with farmers. "
 shares John Tusasirwe, CEO of Trafford.

Building Resilience, One Acre at a Time.

EcoProsperity’s focus goes beyond boosting incomes — it’s about resilience. By promoting regenerative practices like intercropping, minimal tillage, and organic soil management on a quarter an acre per farmer, the program is helping young farmers diversify income streams, reduce climate risks, and restore soil health.

The project spans ten districts across eastern and western Uganda, with a target of reaching 12,000 smallholder farmers—70% of them women. Just four months after its launch, over 1,000 farmers are already benefiting, with 56 months of implementation still ahead.

 It’s part of Swisscontact’s global commitment to inclusive, market-driven development, where local communities are not just recipients of aid but drivers of change. With early signs pointing to an average CHF 500 (UGX 2 million) annual income boost per farmer and private-sector partners eyeing 15% annual revenue growth, the momentum is building.

 

The Road Ahead

These gains, however, are just the beginning. Scaling up from early wins to systemic change will require sustained investment, adaptive learning, and deepened partnerships.

But one thing is clear: across Uganda’s rural heartlands, a quiet revolution is underway. Thanks to climate-smart farming, young Ugandans are not just cultivating crops — they’re cultivating hope.