The African Green Revolution Alliance (AGRA) and the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) will this Friday, August 15, host a high-level media dialogue in Kampala to explore how the press can catalyse Uganda’s transformation into a nation capable of feeding itself and the region nutritiously.
The breakfast meeting, scheduled for Friday at Serena Kampala Hotel, will convene senior editors, newsroom leaders, and platform managers to rethink the media’s place in shaping agricultural and food security narratives.
Uganda’s agriculture sector remains underfunded despite its central role in livelihoods and the economy.
“Two decades after the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) and in alignment with the Kampala Declaration, Uganda’s budget allocation to agriculture and research remains dishearteningly low—below the targeted 10% and 1.5% respectively,” said Dr George Lugalambi, ACME’s Executive Director.
“This gap underscores the necessity of mobilizing stakeholders towards meaningful investment and action.”
The organisers say the dialogue will ask difficult but necessary questions: What is stopping the media from accelerating food systems change in line with CAADP and COP commitments?
How can journalists better influence public engagement while collaborating with AGRA and other development partners?
Dr. Lugalambi argues that the media is uniquely positioned to shift Uganda’s food security narrative.
“This initiative aims to motivate media participation at the highest editorial levels for a collaborative reimagining of the roles of the media—essential for accelerating an inclusive transformation of Uganda’s food systems,” he noted.
The session will explore barriers to change, from policy inertia to weak investment in agricultural research, and identify opportunities for storytelling that can spur action.
Participants will also discuss co-creation strategies with civil society and development partners, as well as the use of technology and social media to amplify agricultural discourse.
According to ACME, the dialogue is as much about influence as it is about accountability.
“We need to ask: What do we need to influence the change narrative, who must we partner with to create the desired impact, and what resources are required to advance Uganda’s food security agenda?” Dr. Lugalambi said.
With food security and nutrition challenges persisting despite vast agricultural potential,
Friday’s meeting is expected to set the tone for stronger collaboration between the press, policy-makers, and civil society in reimagining Uganda’s path to an inclusive, resilient food system.