Feed the Future Uganda Inclusive Agricultural Markets Activity Quarterly Progress Report, Q1 FY 2021

The Activity seeks to promote inclusivity by actively engaging all actors in the market system, including the poor, women, youth, ethnic minorities, and other marginalized groups. FtF IAM contributes to the Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS) Uganda Country Plan goal of reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty and the USAID/Uganda Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2016-2021 five-year goal of strengthening Uganda's systems to accelerate inclusive education, health, and economic outcomes. The Activity operates under the technical approach of Market Development Facility (MDF), which focuses on improving the functioning of market systems to benefit smallholder farmers and other market actors. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, FtF IAM continued to focus on building partnerships and activity development while maintaining business continuity and staff safety. Key field visits were made by the team to Mbarara, Karamoja, Lira, and Gulu, and the three field offices in Mbarara, Gulu, and Mbale were set up and staffed during the period. On the technical front, the Activity continued to operate under restricted circumstances, with staff working from home and engaging with each other through telephone and virtual meetings. Engagement with partners and other stakeholders was largely virtual, including assessing the capacity of partners to implement proposed activities. This way of working presented significant challenges to make substantive progress in each quarter, including engaging and on-boarding partners, assessing their capacity, and guiding them to improve their operations. The period under review was also impacted by two additional factors: the general election held in January 2021, which preoccupied most districts with election campaigns and government-imposed restrictions on public gatherings, and the holiday season, which extended office closures and staff leave, slowing down implementation and progress during the quarter. Despite these challenges, FtF IAM was able to make progress in identifying and building partnerships and a promising pipeline, signing key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with two government departments, and continuing significant staff onboarding at regional offices. Key achievements during the quarter included the signing of MoUs with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries, and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), and the onboarding of new staff at the regional offices in Mbarara, Gulu, and Mbale. The Activity's progress has been implemented at a slower level than anticipated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it continues to focus on building partnerships and activity development while maintaining business continuity and staff safety. The Activity's technical approach and partnerships will be critical in achieving its goals and contributing to the Global Food Security Strategy and the USAID/Uganda Country Development Cooperation Strategy.