Gathering the grassroots: farmer groups as vehicles for political mobilization of small-scale farmers in Uganda

Collective action by small-scale farmers can contribute significantly toward rural development. One important aspect that remains relatively neglected, especially in research set in Africa, is the role of farmer collectives in political processes. We study the local-level dynamics of a farmer-based organization mobilizing for agroecology and food sovereignty in Uganda. Through qualitative, collaborative research we examine the origins, characteristics and challenges of eight farmer groups, with a particular interest in how collective action is sustained and political mobilization gets fostered among the grassroots. Compared to the traditional NGOs that dominate the civil society landscape, we argue that organizations structured upon farmer groups are conducive to building grassroots engagement. We especially highlight the role of reflexive experimentation with agricultural alternatives, and suggest that the emerging fabric of local farmer groups expands mobilization opportunities. However, groups also experience many challenges including problematic gender dynamics, and political mobilization cannot be expected to simply emerge from collective action. For fostering democratically governed agri-food systems, we identify three important forms of “literacy” that surrounding organizations can support farmer groups in building: institutional, agroecological, and political.