Stella Rose Akutui

"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 challenges had changed....

A farmer in Wakiso district spraying his lettuce with insecticide. Photo: African Newsletter Europe bans hazardous pesticides to protect its citizens. Yet the same chemicals are exported to African countries like Uganda, where farmers apply them with minimal protection, in unlabelled containers, and without legal recourse. This is not a regulatory gap. It is a business model, and one of the most consequential double standards in the global agricultural system. A landmark Swedwatch report,...