The Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) is supporting selected agroforestry farmers with livestock and other income-generating activities under a government-backed climate resilience project aimed at improving livelihoods while restoring degraded landscapes in refugee-hosting communities.
The support is being provided under the Intensive Mixed-Use Agroforestry Systems on Household Plots (MAS) Project, a component of the Government of Uganda’s Investing in Forests and Protected Areas for Climate-Smart Development (IFPA-CD) Project, financed by the World Bank.
The two-year MAS project, launched in early 2025 and scheduled to conclude in June 2026, promotes the adoption of intensive mixed-use agroforestry practices in 19 districts across Northern and Western Uganda, particularly in communities hosting refugees or located within a five-kilometre radius of refugee settlements.
Under the initiative, ECOTRUST is implementing activities in five districts, while Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) oversee implementation in the remaining areas.
As part of efforts to ensure environmental conservation translates into tangible economic benefits for households, ECOTRUST and CRS are supporting selected model farmers in Palabek Nyimur, Palabek Kal, Aceba and Agora parishes through livestock farming, beekeeping, honey production, and shea nut and oil processing.
“The selected model farmers are our pioneers,” said Lamwaka Grace, ECOTRUST’s Project Coordinator in Lamwo District. “We hope to work with them as they improve their livelihoods and inspire those around them in the community. This initiative enables our farmers to have alternative sources of income while they actively conserve the environment.”
Model farmers have been provided with ruminant animals, particularly goats, as an incentive intended to improve household incomes while encouraging continued participation in reforestation activities.
The project seeks to transform traditional farming systems by integrating trees, crops and livestock to improve land productivity, strengthen food security and increase climate resilience.
Among the beneficiaries is Alice Achan, a tree grower from Agora Sub-county, who has planted more than 1,760 trees, including indigenous white teak and various fruit tree species.
Achan said the livestock support would provide new opportunities for her family.
“When these animals grow and multiply, I will sell them to help pay school fees for my children and take care of the family,” she said. “I will also be in a better position to get more money to reinvest in and support my farming.”
Project implementers say the initiative places significant emphasis on gender equality and social inclusion, particularly in rural communities where women contribute much of the agricultural labour.
Odong Cosmos, the Assistant District Veterinary Officer, said empowering women through such interventions is critical for both household welfare and local economic development.
“Gender sensitivity in this project is crucial,” Cosmos said. “In our community, a disproportionate amount of work has historically been left to women. Therefore, more women need to be actively involved in projects like this, ensuring they can directly improve their own livelihoods as well as those of their families.”
Although the MAS project is expected to end in June 2026, ECOTRUST says it will continue engaging participating farmers through its Trees Grow Back (TGB) Project to support the long-term survival and management of planted trees.
Local leaders have welcomed the continued commitment, expressing confidence that the benefits of the initiative will extend beyond the project’s official lifespan.
“We have been working closely with ECOTRUST to protect the environment and support local livelihoods through different projects,” said Justine Peace Odur, the LC4 Chairperson of Lamwo District. “Even with the eventual closure of this specific program, I am confident that ECOTRUST will continue its monitoring and support of the farmers in this region.”
The broader IFPA-CD project aims to improve the sustainable management of forests and protected areas while increasing benefits for communities living around targeted landscapes. Through the integration of conservation efforts with livelihood improvement initiatives, project stakeholders hope to create lasting environmental and economic gains in some of Uganda’s most vulnerable regions.
