Low-cost cultivation improvements have big impacts on food security and resilience in Uganda

Abstract

Agricultural extension promotes improved inputs and more productive farming practices, which could boost food security and reduce poverty in developing countries. We evaluated1 how a large-scale agricultural extension program for smallholder women farmers in Uganda impacted food security. We found that the adoption of improved cultivation methods with minimal up-front costs was the strongest driver of improved food security across eligible villages. This highlights the impact agricultural extension can have even among very poor women farmers when the cost of adoption is low.