Uganda Food and Nutrition Strategy and Investment Plan.

The Uganda Food and Nutrition Strategy and Investment Plan (UFNSIP) is a cross-sectoral national strategy that maps out a comprehensive framework for the eradication of hunger and malnutrition in Uganda. The design of UFNSIP is intended to assist the Government of Uganda in furthering its food, nutrition and income security objectives under the Poverty Eradication Action Plan, the Plan for the Modernization of Agriculture and the Health Sector Strategic Plan in a concerted action and with support from development partners and stakeholders.
Four main clusters of intervention are represented in the document: 1- Socio-economic policies and political environment; 2-Performance of the food and agriculture economy; 3-Nutrition and care practices; and, 4- Health and sanitation. The two-fold Food and Nutrition Strategy focuses on addressing the right to food by providing preferential treatment to vulnerable and disadvantaged segments of the population. It also equally addresses the question of how the poor and marginalized sections of the population can increase their income security both through on-farm and off-farm employment and livelihood opportunities.
To address the cross cutting issues of eliminating hunger and reducing rural poverty the following strategies are identified: Harmonization and Synchronization of Cross-Sectoral Policy and Database Management in order to have a better understanding of what food and nutrition related policies, programs and projects are in place both at the Central and Local Government levels; Capacity Building and Decentralization of the Food and Nutrition Planning and Implementation that will be used to improve capacity of local Governments in decentralized food security and nutrition planning, implementation monitoring and evaluation, through manpower training, provision of equipment, redeployment, networking and technical back-stopping from the Central Government and UFNC lead and network institutions; Increasing and Diversifying Food Supply Through Agro-ecological Zonal Farming Systems Based on Comparative Advantage Analysis where emphasis will be on increasing productivity by at least 50% and diversifying production base by promoting foods that are both high yielding, highly nutritious, income-enhancing or cost reducing and have both domestic and regional/international markets; Improving Nutrition Status and Social Equity Through Gender Mainstreaming and Affirmative Action Support; Strengthening Disaster Management, Food Reserve and Food Monitoring Mechanisms; Promoting Good Health Through Improved Nutrition and Preventive Care Practices; Promoting Good Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles Through Improved Health Care and Sanitation Practices; Promoting Proper Food and Nutrition Practices Through Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Strengthening; and Improving Food Security and Nutrition Through Effective Research and Development Programmes.
To enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems efforts will be focused on increasing food processing and preservation capacity, and food standards and quality control through improvements in infrastructure and utilities, technology, fiscal measures support; and promoting accessibility to affordable and nutritious foods through the development of supportive physical infrastructure such as development of storage capacities, feeder roads, development of market information systems, promotion of rural electrification; and improving domestic market access and export competitiveness through market integration and private sector participation.
Regarding governance, the Uganda Food and Nutrition Council will be established as a legal entity responsible for coordinating the multi-sectoral implementation of the food and nutrition policy and the overall coordination of the monitoring and evaluation functions. The post of a dedicated Monitoring and Evaluation Officer will also be created under the Council.