Soil Science Society of East Africa
Public seminar on organic Farming in Uganda; Merits and Demerits

Concluding Remarks by Percy W. Misika; FAO Representative in Uganda

The Vice Chancellor, Makerere University;
The Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Makerere University;
All Heads of Institutions here present;
The Chairperson, Soil Science Society of East Africa [SSSEA]
The Faculty and Staff, Makerere University
Distinguished Scientists;
All Students from Tertiary Institutions here present;
Farmers;
Ladies and Gentlemen


 Since the World Food Summit (WFS) held in Rome in 1996, where World Leaders undertook to reduce the number of the hungry and malnourished by half by 2015, tremendous progress has been made globally to achieve this noble goal.

 Europe and north America have very insignificant levels of hunger and malnutrition; as a result of (1) continuous and stable high agricultural yields that has resulted in stockpiles of food supplies; and (2) deliberate social security safety nets that ensure reliable, predictable and sustained year in and year out incomes to enable those that are unemployed have access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food.

 Asia and Latin America has over the years since the WFS, gradually but surely made a significant dent in reducing the number of the hungry and malnourished through increased agricultural productivity.

 Only Africa is experiencing increasing and rising levels of the hungry and malnourished.

 Is Uganda part of the African Continent trend? The answer is no at national level but yes in some parts of the country due many factors. Yet slowly and surely Uganda is moving in that direction as it slides down to the critical/threshold levels of soil organic matter content that could significantly reduce agricultural productivity.

 Organic Agriculture is one of the approaches, I repeat only one approaches out of many that has the potential to sustain or improve agricultural productivity. It is not the sole approach to achieve this desired goal.

 West Europe used the Marshall Plan and Asia used the Green Revolution to improve agricultural productivity. Both were based on seed and inorganic fertilizer supplies; and both worked as we all know.

 The choice on which approach to use is and must be guided by:

(1) Affordability of the approach by farmers.
(2) Purpose of production (intended consumers):
- own consumption/subsistence production
- local market
- regional market
- developed country market
(3) Secondary benefits:
- arresting soil/water pollution
- enhancing employment
- improving human health

 Organic farming is not the sole panacea for soil fertility enhancement, and agricultural productivity improvement. There are other ways. But it is an opportunity, and opportunities are there to be seized and taken advantage of when they avail themselves. I therefore appeal to Ugandan farmers, researchers, policy makers and agricultural students to seize the opportunity availed by organic farming so that they may take advantage of the benefits that many other countries have derived and still continue to derive from this opportunity.

I thank you for kind attention.