Tujjunge John showcases his kitchen garden at his home on Luwero District.

When you step into Tujjunge John’s compound, the first thing that catches your eye is the vibrant kitchen garden, tucked neatly beside his home. The garden is filled with fresh cabbages, Nakati, and other vegetables, all within arm's reach of his kitchen.

“My wife walks out here at any time of the day to pick vegetables for our meals,” Tujunge proudly shares. “We don’t need to buy them. It has improved our household nutrition.”

Surrounding Tujjunge’s home is a two-acre plot of land teeming with thriving coffee plants. The sight of coffee berries hanging heavy on the branches shows just how well-maintained the farm is. But when we ask Tujjunge what makes his coffee so productive, his response is simple yet profound. "My coffee is this productive because I use farming practices that support coffee growing and nurture nature as a whole."

Tujjunge is one of many farmers participating in Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Farmer Field Schools, part of a wider initiative aimed at promoting sustainable agricultural practices that enhance biodiversity and ecosystems’ resilience. Tujjunge had the privilege of hosting a team of experts from FAO Laos, Madagascar, and their respective ministries of agriculture and environment involved in the implementation of the FAO’s programme “Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural sectors to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”. The purpose was to learn firsthand how Ugandan farmers are mainstreaming biodiversity in agriculture and showcasing best practices in which farming can work in harmony with nature.

During the visit, Tujjunge shared some of the sustainable practices that have transformed his farm. He explained how he has adopted agroforestry, integrating trees alongside crops to boost habitat diversity. He also highlighted using trenches to prevent soil erosion and conserve moisture, ultimately enhancing soil biodiversity.

"I learned these practices through FAO Uganda's Farmer Field Schools," Tujjunge says. "Before this, we didn’t know how to manage our land in ways that could support both our crops and the environment. We have seen a significant improvement in crop yields, household income, and nutrition."

The Importance of Biodiversity in Agrifood Systems

Agriculture, from crop production to livestock and forestry, is deeply intertwined with biodiversity. Healthy ecosystems provide vital services such as pollination, pest control, and nutrient cycling, which are crucial for food production. Yet, despite the irreplaceable role of biodiversity in sustaining agrifood systems, it remains threatened by unsustainable agricultural practices. Land use changes, climate change, pollution, and the overexploitation of natural resources are just a few of the key drivers of biodiversity loss that threaten food security and agricultural productivity.

Due to this important role of biodiversity in agrifood systems, FAO has led global efforts to mainstream biodiversity across agricultural sectors in its member states. FAO’s work is guided by its strategy of Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors with a vision of a world where agriculture and food systems reduce their negative impacts on and make the best use of the potential of biodiversity and ecosystems and contribute to the conservation, sustainable use, management, and restoration of biodiversity ensuring food security and nutrition for present and future generations and supporting livelihoods.

Learning Journey Brings Experts Together

The Learning Journey was organized in the framework of the FAO’s global Programme “Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.  The programme aims to support countries in enhancing biodiversity mainstreaming within policies and practices across agricultural sectors at both national and regional levels. The Learning Journey provided a platform that brought together agricultural experts from the programme focus countries, Uganda, Laos, Madagascar, and beyond, to share experiences and explore strategies for scaling up successful initiatives which promote biodiversity. The learning journey, which took place from November 25th to 29th, 2024, was about exchanging ideas and biodiversity-friendly practices and building partnerships to tackle the global challenges of biodiversity loss and agricultural sustainability.

Throughout the learning journey, stakeholders emphasized the importance of nature-based solutions to promoting biodiversity management and sustainable use.

Alex Lwakuba, Commissioner of Crop Production at Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, pointed out that agriculture, often a driver of biodiversity loss, must address these challenges.

“We must rise to address nature’s challenges and identify nature-based solutions,” he urged. “We are ready to learn from the experiences of other countries.”

Dr. Charles Owach, FAO Uganda’s Assistant Representative in charge of programmes, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the comprehensive strategy that FAO has adopted for mainstreaming biodiversity across agriculture.

“FAO’s strategy promotes biodiversity protection and sustainable use across crops, livestock production, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture,” Dr. Owach explained. “Through this approach, we are confident that agrifood systems can restore degraded lands, conserve agrobiodiversity, and ensure sustainable use of natural resources.”