Farming Against the Odds- How Women Farmers Are Building Climate Resilience in Uganda

In rural Uganda, the responsibility of feeding families and sustaining communities often rests on women working on small plots of land—often less than two acres. As climate change disrupts rainfall patterns and degrades soil fertility, these women are not just coping; they are innovating. Across the country, small-scale women farmers are using agroecology to rebuild resilience, restore their soils, and secure food for their households.

Agriculture remains the backbone of rural livelihoods in Uganda, employing most households. Within this system, women play a central role. They plant, weed, harvest, process food, and ensure household nutrition. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, women contribute between 60 and 80 percent of the labour used in food production. Yet despite their critical role, they continue to face systemic barriers, including limited access to land, credit, and agricultural extension services.

At the same time, farming itself is becoming more difficult. Many small-scale farmers, especially women, speak of seasons that are no longer predictable. Rains arrive late or fall heavily within short periods, sometimes destroying crops. Prolonged dry spells have become more frequent, and soils that were once fertile are steadily losing productivity. For women who depend on small plots to feed their families, these changes pose a direct threat to both livelihoods and household food security.

In response, many women farmers are turning to agroecology—an approach that combines traditional knowledge with ecological principles to sustainably manage farming systems. Agroecology is not a new concept in rural Uganda; rather, it builds on practices that farmers have used for generations, adapting them to meet today’s challenges.

In Mityana District, Hawa Indagire, a small-scale farmer, cultivates maize, beans, sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas, and vegetables on her one-acre plot. Instead of relying on a single crop, she practices intercropping—growing multiple crops together in the same field. This approach has proven to be a reliable strategy in the face of unpredictable weather.

“When you grow only one crop and the rains fail, everything is lost,” she explains. “But when I mix crops, something always survives, and that means my family can still eat.”

Intercropping is widely practiced by women farmers because it maximises the use of limited land, improves soil fertility, and reduces the spread of pests and diseases. It also ensures a more diverse and stable food supply for households.

Women farmers are also adopting organic methods to restore soil health. In many rural communities, chemical fertilisers are expensive and difficult to access. As a result, farmers are turning to locally available alternatives such as compost made from crop residues, kitchen waste, and animal manure. In Magongolo village in Mityana, groups of women regularly meet to share knowledge on compost preparation and soil management practices.

Christine Nabwami, a farmer from Katiko village, recalls how declining soil fertility once affected her yields. “Before we learned about composting and other biofertilisers, our harvests were getting smaller every season,” she says. “Now we are able to nurture our soils, and the crops grow stronger.”

By restoring soil fertility through natural methods, including composting, agroforestry, and the use of bio-based inputs, farmers are maintaining productivity while reducing reliance on costly external inputs.

Water conservation has also become increasingly important as rainfall patterns shift. Many farmers now practice mulching—covering the soil with dry grass or crop residues—to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Others construct trenches to capture and conserve rainwater while controlling runoff. These practices are particularly valuable during prolonged dry periods, allowing crops to survive even when rainfall is limited.

Beyond the farm, agroecology is strengthening community relationships. Women are forming farmer groups where they exchange seeds, share knowledge, and support one another during planting and harvesting seasons. These networks are helping farmers adapt more quickly to changing conditions while building confidence and leadership among women.

However, significant challenges remain. Many women farmers do not have secure land tenure, limiting their ability to make long-term investments in their land. Access to agricultural credit remains limited, and extension services often do not reach those who need them most. Globally, women farmers receive only a small share of agricultural development support, further constraining their ability to scale up successful practices.

ESAFF Uganda is supporting this transition by promoting women’s land rights, strengthening farmer-managed seed systems, and building capacity for agroecological practices. These efforts are helping to position small-scale farmers—particularly women—at the centre of building a more just and resilient food system.

To strengthen these gains, a more coordinated effort is required from government, development partners, and local institutions. Agroecology should be integrated into national agricultural policies as a pathway to sustainable food systems and climate resilience. Women’s land and resource rights must be strengthened to enable long-term investment in soil restoration and productivity. Expanding farmer-to-farmer learning platforms can accelerate the spread of practical knowledge, while increased investment in agroecological research can support locally adapted innovations. Strengthening local food markets will also ensure that women farmers can earn stable incomes from their produce.

Women small-scale farmers are already demonstrating that sustainable agriculture is possible, even under increasingly difficult conditions. Through crop diversification, composting, agroforestry, natural pest management, and water conservation, they are restoring their soils, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring food for their families.

What they need is not new ideas, but greater recognition, investment, and support. If Uganda is to build a resilient and food-secure future, it must start by investing in the women who are already feeding the nation.