"We realized that the biggest harvest was not the groundnuts—it was the confidence that we could build our own future."— Oromo Monica, Gen Tici FFS. For years, farming in Amuru district followed a familiar cycle. Families planted when the rains came, prayed for a good harvest, sold what they could, and waited for the next season. One drought, one pest outbreak, or one poor market price could erase months of hard work. Many believed this was simply the way life had to be. But

"For the first time, we are not just being consulted; we are helping to design the research questions that will shape agroecology in our own communities."— Abraham Ojangole, Small-scale Farmer, Kumi District. For decades, agricultural research has largely followed a familiar path. Scientists designed the studies. Universities developed the methodologies. Farmers answered questions, hosted demonstrations, and waited for recommendations that often arrived long after the challen

For years, the members of Yelekeni Farmers’ group in Tee Okuto village, Pabbo Sub-county, Amuru District watched something precious slowly disappear. Erudu White, a local groundnut variety treasured for generations because of its rich taste, strong market demand, and resilience was gradually losing the very qualities that had made it valuable. Harvests became smaller. Plants succumbed more easily to groundnut rosette disease and aphid attacks. Every season, farmers feared the

Visitors to Umoja ni Nguuvu Community Agroecology School often admire the fish ponds, apiaries, thriving tree nurseries, and trial gardens where farmer members test indigenous food plants and climate-resilient crops. Today, they drive directly to the school. Just a few months ago, that would have been impossible. For decades, the communities surrounding Umoja ni Nguuvu Community Agroecology School in Bugiri District—a member district of ESAFF Uganda—were cut off by the absenc