Can banana-coffee intercropping improve nutrition security? Evidence from Uganda National Panel survey data

Ugandan farmers, like in other Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries are disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to over reliance on rain fed agriculture (less than 1 percent practice irrigation). In the event of climate change, it negatively affects crop yields and threaten food security. Since 2010 when climate smart agriculture became practiced in Uganda, banana-coffee intercropping has become widely prioritized as one of the key climate smart practices to enhance the adaptive capacity of farmers, to mitigate food security risks associated with climate variability, and to meet sustainable development goals of access and quality foods. However, available literature on impacts of banana-coffee intercropping and nutrition security in Uganda remains scanty and is not nationally representative. We address this research gaps using two waves of the Uganda National Panel survey data. Poisson regression models were estimated. Preliminary results from both national and regional level regression show that banana-coffee intercropping is positively associated with nutrition security of farming households. We cautiously conclude that banana-coffee intercropping and associated intensification can contribute to nutrition security and therefore the broader national goals. Therefore, policy instruments that aim at increasing adoption of banana-coffee intercropping are likely to have positive effects on household nutritional levels.