ESAFF Uganda launches 6th Cohort of Agroecology School for Journalists and Communicators

Kampala: ESAFF Uganda hosted the Agroecology Introductory Workshop for the sixth cohort of its Agroecology School for Journalists and Communicators in Kampala, bringing together media professionals and communicators from distinguished media houses across Uganda, to deepen their understanding of the complex systems that shape how food is produced, processed, marketed and consumed.

The  4 September, 2026  workshop held at Essella Country Hotel  marked the beginning of a 12-week immersive journey into understanding agroecology and its role in building safer, healthier and more sustainable food systems.

The initiative builds on previous cohorts trained by ESAFF Uganda, whose journalists and communicators have gone on to increase attention to issues ranging from farmer-managed seed systems and pesticide use to food safety, land rights, climate change and sustainable agriculture.

Speaking to the participants during the workshop, ESAFF Uganda National Chairperson Mr. Hakim Baliraine emphasised the critical role journalists play in protecting public health and safety by providing communities with accurate information about the food they consume and how it is produced.

“Consumers deserve to know where their food comes from and how it is produced,” he said. “They should be able to distinguish agroecological produce from conventional products, giving consumers confidence in the safety of what they buy. Journalists have a key role in telling these stories and helping people understand the value of safe food,” he remarked.

Ms Nancy Mugimba, the National Coordinator of ESAFF Uganda, challenged the journalists and communicators to look beyond what is on people’s plates and investigate the food systems behind it.

“We had our way of producing food. People call it traditional, but it started vanishing, and we started seeing complexities in communities,” she said. “We want to add a brick to what is being reported and also clarify facts and many things on different food production systems in Uganda. We are counting on you to report on the system that keeps us healthy. We should be interested in what is happening and where our food comes from,” she said.

It is this recognition that has driven Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF) Uganda to invest in building a network of journalists and communicators equipped to report more deeply and critically on agroecology, food systems and the lives of small-scale farmers.

According to ESSGAAcross Africa, the question of how food is produced is becoming just as important as whether there is enough of it.For decades, agricultural success has largely been measured by the quantity of food produced. But beneath the promise of higher yields lies a growing food systems crisis marked by declining soil health, heavy dependence on agrochemicals, unsafe food, environmental degradation and increasing public concern about what ends up on people’s plates.

A 2026 global study published in Frontiers in Public Health found that more than 400 million farmers and farmworkers worldwide suffer acute pesticide poisoning every year. The study also estimated that around 11,000 people die annually from unintended pesticide poisoning.

Yet, for many small-scale farmers, the danger remains largely invisible. Pesticide exposure can cause immediate symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting and skin reactions, while repeated exposure may lead to more serious health consequences over time.

Non-Communicable diseases such as nutrition related cancers are also claiming thousands of human lives due to consumption of unsafe and ultra-processed foods.It is against this backdrop that the role of journalists becomes increasingly important.

According to the facilitators, Journalists decide which questions are asked, whose voices are heard and which issues reach the public,and  can investigate what happens on farms, follow food from production to consumption, question policies and expose gaps in regulation.

“A food story can be a health story. It can be an environmental story, a trade story, a climate story or a story about inequality and power. Behind a vegetable sold in a market, for instance, are questions about the seed that was planted, the chemicals that may have been applied, the soil in which it was grown, the farmer who produced it and the systems that transported it to the consumer” A facilitator said during the session.

For UBC journalist Gloria Gwitabingi, the growing concern about food safety makes it necessary for journalists to understand these connections before reporting them.

“One of the major problems with our current food systems and food value chains is the increasing concern about the safety and quality of the food we consume. As a journalist, I believe we have a responsibility to report these issues accurately and responsibly.”

Gwitabingi said she hopes the course will help her distinguish between scientifically supported information, misinformation and unverified claims while reporting on food safety, sustainable agriculture and food safety.

Adding weight to the importance of building journalists’ capacity to understand agroecology, Sir Bob Sunday George, Senior Agriculture Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) emphasised that journalists carry a significant responsibility in shaping public understanding and therefore need to be equipped with accurate and credible information.

“Equipping journalists in Agroecology is a blessing to this country. A journalist has the responsibility to inform the public, and such a person should be equipped with accurate information. Agroecology has multiple connections to key aspects, such as food security, livelihoods, especially for the rural poor, ecosystems, climate change and health, hence making it a crucial sector for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

The future of Africa’s food systems will not be determined by farmers alone but also the information people receive, the policies they demand and the stories that bring hidden realities from the farm to the public.

According to ESAFF Uganda, For journalists and communicators joining the sixth cohort, the journey ahead is therefore not simply about learning to report on agroecology, but also understanding, and helping society question the systems that determine how Africa grows, eats and sustains itself.

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