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Uganda

The National Food Systems Coordination Committee

Uganda's National Food Systems Coordination Committee is convened by the Office of the Prime Minister to lift the agrifood agenda to the highest level of government. Government and non-state members carry equal weight, and each thematic track pairs government leadership with civil society co-leadership.

Institutional set-up and structure

Established in 2022 by the Office of the Prime Minister, the Committee draws in ministries, national agencies, civil society, academia and development partners. Below it, track-level working groups organise the thematic work, each led by a government body and co-led by a civil society organisation. Indicators are integrated into the national development plan, which carries its own monitoring framework.

Mandate and decision-making power

The Committee aims to escalate the agrifood systems agenda to the highest authority in order to secure binding executive decisions that drive coherent action across government. It convenes stakeholder representatives from across the agrifood system, provides oversight of policy implementation including the national pathway, guides communication and advocacy on transformation, and harnesses partnerships. It serves as an advisory platform within the national coordination framework.

The Committee is tasked with the following roles (building blocks):

  • Agenda setting: advocacy and dialogue; deciding on goals and strategic priorities

  • Policy formulation and decision making: providing technical advice; coordinating policy development; developing policies for consideration by the relevant authorities; deciding and enacting them

  • Implementation: coordinating policy and programme delivery

  • Monitoring and evaluation: tracking progress, evaluating and reporting

Who is involved

  • Government: the Office of the Prime Minister and its sustainable development secretariat; the National Planning Authority; agriculture, animal industry and fisheries; health; gender, labour and social development; public service; trade, industry and cooperatives; local government; water and environment; education and sports; finance, planning and economic development; and the national bureau of standards

  • Development partners: United Nations agencies

  • Civil society: co-leading each thematic track alongside government

  • Academia

All members participate with equal weight, each with one representative.

How it works in practice

  • Meets at least quarterly, with additional meetings as needed

  • Decisions are reached by collective agreement rather than by voting

  • The Office of the Prime Minister coordinates overall effort; agriculture leads assessment of plans, policies and legal frameworks; finance handles financing and budgeting; public service covers institutional structures and capacity

  • Indicators are integrated into the national development plan and monitored through its framework

  • The Committee reports to the Prime Minister

  • Meeting minutes are recorded and shared with members

Opportunities for improvement

  • Clarifying the boundary with existing nutrition committees would reduce overlap

  • A dedicated budget would reduce reliance on partner funding for activities

  • Sustained high-level political support would help secure binding decisions on the agenda the Committee sets

Evidence base: key informant interviews and policy documents, 2026. Last updated: September 2026.

Strengths

  • Multisectoral composition brings diverse perspectives into a single forum

  • Participatory action planning gives members a direct role in shaping the work

  • Alignment with national coordination frameworks and the national development plan anchors the Committee in existing processes

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