Malnutrition, including stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies, continues to be a major challenge in Uganda’s Kabarole district and Fort Portal City. Despite the presence of Village Health Teams (VHTs) as community health extension workers, gaps in functionality, irregular training, and limited supervision hinder their ability to effectively tackle these issues. This creates missed opportunities to […]
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Fort Portal Food Systems Lab commemorates The World Food Day
Author: Bwambale Bernard, Food Systems and Nutrition Programs Manager and Coordinator of Fort Portal Food Systems Lab World Food Day (WFD) is celebrated annually on 16th October around the world to reflect on the role of food for humanity. This year’s theme was “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind”. Availability of […]
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Working with cultural and religious leaders to foster social and behaviour change for healthier and sustainable food systems
By Bwambale Bernard & Francis Musinguzi Religious and cultural communities are some of the well-organized civil institutions. Equally, religious and cultural leaders are often the most respected figures in their communities. They play a powerful role in shaping attitudes, opinions and behaviours in all spheres of life. These leaders command a wider understanding of the […]
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The Fort Portal Food Systems Lab rolls out Rhizobium inoculation to farmers
Bwambale Bernard & Francis Musinguzi Legumes, especially beans are a major food item of most staple diets in Uganda, providing about 15% of the protein source (Esther Ronner, Ken E. Giller, 2013). Legume production is supported by the bimodal rainfall pattern in most of the country’s agricultural regions. In these places, beans are planted around […]
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Leveraging partnerships and collective agency to improve food safety in Uganda
The Fort Portal Food System Lab is leveraging on the multistakeholder approach through strategic partnerships to address the inherent bottlenecks to sufficient supply of healthy and safe foods to the population. Authors: Bwambale Bernard & Francis Musinguzi Food is inarguably a public good available to all people and this assertion is the foundation of the […]
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Visioning sustainable production and consumption of nutritious food in Fort Portal
The Toro Region where the Fort Portal Food System Lab operates has the highest rates of stunting (40.6%) in Uganda. The statistics present a big contradiction because the same region is considered a food basket, exporting food to the neighbouring cities and countries. The increased malnutrition rates have been attributed to people’s overconsumption of monotonous diets, consisting primarily of bananas as a leading staple food.
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