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AEGIS European Conference on African Studies
11 - 14 July 2007
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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The potential of organic agriculture to poverty eradication in Uganda
| Panel |
12. African entrepreneurs and/in emerging markets: towards a situational understanding of entrepreneurial behaviour?
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| Paper ID | 44 |
| Author(s) |
Navuga, Robinah
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| Paper |
No paper submitted
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| Abstract | There is a growing demand for organic products, especially from major organic consuming countries in the world. This is due to their associated benefits of improved health and environmental conservation. According to the January 2006 marketing report from the research firm, Organic monitor in London, domestic consumers buy record amounts of organic food that farmers are unable to meet. This resulted into importation of organic food worth U.S $ 1.5 billion in 2005. In comparison, the US organic exports amount to a meager $150 million. The report further showed that 10% of all organic sales in the U.S today are imports. The shortages of organic raw materials are forcing the US manufacturers to look overseas for the raw materials, and Uganda having the biggest organic certified land of 250,000 ha in Africa stands an opportunity to target. A study conducted in three districts from July to September 2005 sampled 700 small-scale farmers practicing organic and conventional agriculture. It indicated that farmers practicing organic agriculture earn 1,500,000/= to 4,000,000/= shillings per annum, while the non- organic ones earn 830,000/= to 1.200,000/= shillings. Going by the findings, the GDP per capita for organic farmers is about $2.36 per day a figure well above the poverty line. The findings imply that if organic agriculture is developed to a bigger scale it can significantly contribute to the economic growth of Uganda.
Key words: Poverty Eradication, Organic Agriculture, Uganda
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