pursuing a planned urbanization policy that will bring about better urban systems
that enhance productivity and sustainability while releasing land for commercializing agriculture; and the projection that the country’s agricultural productivity will
grow at an average rate of about five per cent.
Uganda’s Vision 2040 recognizes that agriculture is the main stay of the Ugandan
economy employing 65.6 per cent of the labour force and that it contributes twenty
one percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is also recognized
under Vision 2040 that agricultural production in Uganda is mainly dominated by
smallholder farmers engaged in food and industrial crops, forestry, horticulture,
fishing and livestock farming. Agriculture productivity of most crops has been
reducing over the last decade mainly due to a number of factors including: high
costs of inputs, poor production techniques limited extension services, over dependency on rain fed agriculture, land tenure challenges and limited application of
technology and innovation. Vision 2040 equally recognizes that the fertility of
Uganda’s soil is declining fast and the situation needs to be reversed. Whatever
the good intentions of government by coming up with this vital policy document, it
remains difficult to achieve sustainable development of the country’s economy
based on harnessing land. The diverse interests in the ideologically constructed
social strata of the rich and poor, women and men, citizens and non-citizens,
necessarily cripples any government initiative to promote sustainable development
because of lack of a harmonious position and understanding of the development
concept by elements of each social stratum.
In such problematic environment, even other government policies, much as they
are conspicuously attractive to the readers, cannot be the basis for sustainable
development based on harnessing the land. Most of the activities on the land and
hence the soil is extractive in nature without the ability and even desire to replenish
the depleted soil fertility.
For example, the Uganda Land Use Policy of 2006 whose overall objective is to
achieve sustainable and equitable socio-economic development through optimal
land management and utilization in Uganda is only attractive on paper but difficult
to operationalise. The specific objectives of the Uganda Land Use Policy are: to
adopt improved agriculture and other land use systems that will provide lasting
benefits for Uganda; reverse and alleviate adverse environmental effects at local,
national, regional and global levels; promote land use activities that ensure sustainable utilization and management of environmental, natural and cultural resources for
national socio-economic development; ensure planned, environmentally friendly,
affordable and well-distributed human settlements for both rural and urban areas;
update and harmonize all land use related policies and laws, and strengthen institutional capacity at all levels of Government.
Achievement of the aforementioned policy objectives is pegged on the understanding that land is a fixed resource and is becoming scarce in many areas, and that
its ownership has a significant bearing on land use.
The policy, however, uses flowery language that ignores the fact that land in
Uganda is owned by the people and government has limited control over it, and
hence cannot compel land owners to utilize it in a manner that they do not understand
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G. Busingye
that enhance productivity and sustainability while releasing land for commercializing agriculture; and the projection that the country’s agricultural productivity will
grow at an average rate of about five per cent.
Uganda’s Vision 2040 recognizes that agriculture is the main stay of the Ugandan
economy employing 65.6 per cent of the labour force and that it contributes twenty
one percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is also recognized
under Vision 2040 that agricultural production in Uganda is mainly dominated by
smallholder farmers engaged in food and industrial crops, forestry, horticulture,
fishing and livestock farming. Agriculture productivity of most crops has been
reducing over the last decade mainly due to a number of factors including: high
costs of inputs, poor production techniques limited extension services, over dependency on rain fed agriculture, land tenure challenges and limited application of
technology and innovation. Vision 2040 equally recognizes that the fertility of
Uganda’s soil is declining fast and the situation needs to be reversed. Whatever
the good intentions of government by coming up with this vital policy document, it
remains difficult to achieve sustainable development of the country’s economy
based on harnessing land. The diverse interests in the ideologically constructed
social strata of the rich and poor, women and men, citizens and non-citizens,
necessarily cripples any government initiative to promote sustainable development
because of lack of a harmonious position and understanding of the development
concept by elements of each social stratum.
In such problematic environment, even other government policies, much as they
are conspicuously attractive to the readers, cannot be the basis for sustainable
development based on harnessing the land. Most of the activities on the land and
hence the soil is extractive in nature without the ability and even desire to replenish
the depleted soil fertility.
For example, the Uganda Land Use Policy of 2006 whose overall objective is to
achieve sustainable and equitable socio-economic development through optimal
land management and utilization in Uganda is only attractive on paper but difficult
to operationalise. The specific objectives of the Uganda Land Use Policy are: to
adopt improved agriculture and other land use systems that will provide lasting
benefits for Uganda; reverse and alleviate adverse environmental effects at local,
national, regional and global levels; promote land use activities that ensure sustainable utilization and management of environmental, natural and cultural resources for
national socio-economic development; ensure planned, environmentally friendly,
affordable and well-distributed human settlements for both rural and urban areas;
update and harmonize all land use related policies and laws, and strengthen institutional capacity at all levels of Government.
Achievement of the aforementioned policy objectives is pegged on the understanding that land is a fixed resource and is becoming scarce in many areas, and that
its ownership has a significant bearing on land use.
The policy, however, uses flowery language that ignores the fact that land in
Uganda is owned by the people and government has limited control over it, and
hence cannot compel land owners to utilize it in a manner that they do not understand
150
G. Busingye