Project: Pink Revolution in Northern Uganda – Gender Transformative Contract Farming for Gender Equality and Household Resilience
Client: Plan International Uganda & Consortium Partners (Makerere University, VEDCO, Mukwano Group, NARO, Wageningen UR)
Location: Lira and Alebtong Districts, Northern Uganda
Consulting Focus Area: Development Research – Baseline Study
Project Amount: (Funded through Plan International Netherlands, SNPL BP 123)
Download: [Baseline Report]
Overview
The Pink Revolution Project was launched in July 2018 to address persistent gender inequalities in Northern Uganda’s agriculture sector. Post conflict recovery had increased women’s participation in farming, yet young women remained disadvantaged in access to inputs, training, agribusiness skills and decision making power.
To tackle this challenge, Plan International Uganda and partners initiated a three year programme (2018–2021) in Agweng and Aromo sub-counties (Lira District) and Apala and Abia sub-counties (Alebtong District). The project’s goal was to empower female farmers and strengthen household resilience through gender-transformative contract farming models.
PDCC Limited, led by CEO Hannington Jawoko Odongo, was contracted to conduct the Baseline Study to provide evidence based benchmarks for monitoring, planning, and evaluation of the project.
Baseline Objectives
The study was designed to:
Establish benchmark indicators for tracking project progress.
Assess the vulnerability, livelihood assets, food security status, and institutional context of targeted households.
Measure soybean production levels, women’s decision-making power, and market participation.
Identify existing gender gaps in contract farming and agribusiness practices.
Evaluate the role of the private sector (Mukwano Group, others) in soybean productivity and marketing.
Assess gender transformative actions such as joint decision-making, equitable contracts, and household by-laws.
Key Findings
Soybean Production: Youth smallholders managed an average of 2.5–2.7 acres of soybean, with yields of 608kg/acre (Lira) and 569kg/acre (Alebtong) in the first season, but much lower in the second season due to spoilage, limited storage, and poor input use.
Market Access: Most farmers sold produce individually to middlemen; group marketing structures were absent. Value addition practices were more common in Alebtong (65%) than in Lira (44%).
Skills & Knowledge: High awareness of savings, lending, and gender sensitivity (>70%), but low capacity in contract farming (20–29%). Few farmers practiced record keeping or cost-benefit analysis.
Food Security: Over 90% of households reported food shortages in certain months, with diets low in protein and heavy reliance on own food production.
Gender Dynamics: Women played a central role in crop production but had limited control over land, income, and market decisions. Less than half participated in household decision-making, with some experiencing gender-based violence (20% reported physical abuse).
Private Sector Role: The Mukwano Group’s contract farming model placed price-setting power in agents’ hands, limiting farmers’ bargaining capacity. Alternative models (e.g., VEDCO) offered more flexibility and sustainability.
Impact of the Baseline Study
The findings provided:
A robust evidence base to refine project interventions.
Benchmarks for tracking women’s empowerment, soybean productivity, and household resilience.
Insights into strengthening group marketing, improving input access, and embedding gender equality into agribusiness contracts.
The Pink Revolution baseline revealed critical barriers to gender equality in agriculture but also highlighted opportunities for transformative change through inclusive contract farming, private sector accountability, and strengthened women’s agency. The project aimed to reach 2,500 smallholder farmers (80% young women), increasing both income and voice in decision-making.
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