Contribution of Agriculture in the Enhancement of Refugees Livelihoods in Nakivale Settlement

Abstract

Uganda has significantly continued to receive a large number of refugees in the region and this is positively correlated with its proportional increase in peace and stability. The presence of favorable climatic conditions enhances agricultural productivity and this has triggered redirecting refugees into agricultural production as the major source of livelihood. However, in Ugandan setting, it has not yet been clearly established how agriculture has practically enhanced the livelihoods of the refugees. The study therefore aimed at identifying the agricultural activities practiced by refugees living in Nakivale refugee settlement, identifying the challenges faced by refugees involved in agriculture and their possible solutions as well as examining the contribution of agriculture towards livelihoods of refugees in Nakivale Refugee settlement. The study utilized a case-study approach to analyze the contribution of agriculture in the enhancement of livelihoods in the context of a single settlement and a sample size of 80 respondents was chosen using simple random sampling and an interview guide was used to collect primary data from the respondents. It was revealed from the study that crop production is the main agricultural activity practiced by refugees living in Nakivale refugee settlement in a bid to improve on their food security and household incomes. The study further revealed that climate change, diseases/parasites and diseases, limited land and low prices for the produce are the most serious challenges facing refugees' farmers. It is concluded that food security in Nakivale refugee settlement is rather influenced by agricultural production and the associated dynamics that ultimately determine the well-being of the refugee communities. It is important to appreciate that any variation in factors of production, weather and produce prices will determine livelihood status of the community for such a specific period of time. It's recommended that farmers should adopt climate smart farming to mitigate effects of climate change, supporting

By the numbers and in their own words: A mixed methods study of unmet needs and humanitarian inclusion of older Syrian refugees in Lebanon

“…This would be very appealing to the younger and more functionally capable older women, especially in light of their lifetime experience cooking homemade meals and the limited income sources under work restrictions. Other sustainable livelihoods opportunities include agriculture projects which could leverage on the legal possibility and refugees’ farming experience, especially that the vast majority of ITS residents came from rural areas in Syria [61, 62]. These initiatives can improve refugee-host relations, food security, nutritional status, and income through additional agricultural small businesses selling products prepared by refugees from the farm to the fork, including school food programs [62, 63].…”

By the numbers and in their own words: A mixed methods study of unmet needs and humanitarian inclusion of older Syrian refugees in Lebanon

“…This would be very appealing to the younger and more functionally capable older women, especially in light of their lifetime experience cooking homemade meals and the limited income sources under work restrictions. Other sustainable livelihoods opportunities include agriculture projects which could leverage on the legal possibility and refugees’ farming experience, especially that the vast majority of ITS residents came from rural areas in Syria [ 64 , 65 ]. These initiatives can improve refugee-host relations, food security, nutritional status, and income through additional agricultural small businesses selling products prepared by refugees from the farm to the fork, including school food programs [ 65 , 66 ].…”