GAIN Uganda launches “Vegetables for All” to boost nutrition, markets

16 April 2025, 10:18 pm

By Kabali Paul

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Uganda has launched a landmark agricultural initiative titled “Vegetables for All” – a project designed to strengthen Uganda’s vegetable supply chains while addressing the country’s lingering nutrition challenges. The launch event took place in Kampala on Wednesday, drawing participation from key players across the agricultural sector, including government officials, private agribusinesses, development partners, and civil society.

While Uganda has made commendable strides in reducing hunger, the country continues to battle chronic malnutrition and dietary gaps. According to the World Health Organisation, the average Ugandan consumes just 45 grams of vegetables per day—far below the recommended 200 grams. This low intake is partly due to limited availability and access, particularly among low-income households.

Vegetables for All aims to tackle this gap through a market-based, agriculture-driven approach. At its core is the goal to strengthen vegetable value chains from farm to market, ensuring that farmers are linked to a reliable and consistent market through an innovative “market facilitator” model. By enhancing supply chains, the initiative not only boosts incomes for smallholder farmers but also increases access to fresh produce in underserved communities.

“This is not just a nutrition project—it’s an agricultural transformation initiative,” said Enock Musinguzi, Country Director for GAIN Uganda. “We’re investing in local producers, supporting vendors, and creating demand for nutritious crops through branding and behavior change. It’s about making vegetables both accessible and aspirational.”

The project is being rolled out across eight agriculturally active districts in Central and Eastern Uganda: Kampala, Wakiso, Mpigi, Mukono, Mityana, Kayunga, Jinja, and Mbale. These regions were selected for their proximity to both producers and urban markets, allowing for efficient supply chain linkages.
A key feature of the initiative is its support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) working within the vegetable sector. These enterprises receive capacity building in areas such as food safety, processing, packaging, and branding under the Fitfood label—an emerging brand that promotes healthy, locally grown produce.

To complement supply-side efforts, GAIN has launched “Beera Maama Owakabi”—a multimedia campaign encouraging mothers and caregivers to incorporate more vegetables into their family meals. This demand creation is expected to spur market growth and provide stability for farmers and vendors alike. By 2027, GAIN Uganda aims to reach over 3 million Ugandans through the project, with a special focus on women and low-income earners. Already, over 130,000 people have been reached through media and promotional activities since the project’s inception.

GAIN’s broader programming in Uganda supports food systems transformation through policy advocacy, environmental sustainability, gender inclusion, and public-private partnerships. Operational in Uganda since 2007, GAIN continues to work closely with agricultural stakeholders to promote fortified foods, improve dietary diversity, and elevate local food economies.