NAKASEKE DISTRICT, UGANDA – For years, Kansiime Jackson, a dairy farmer in central Uganda, knew only the relentless despair of a land parched by drought. He watched, helpless, as his crops withered and his cattle, their ribs stark against their hides, embarked on desperate, dusty treks across sun-baked earth in search of a blade of grass, a sip of water. His memory, he recounts, is “etched with the relentless rhythm of long treks” – a desperate dance with a hostile climate that claimed his animals and his hopes.
“The climate was not favourable,” Kansiime states, his voice still holding a trace of past frustration. “We have two seasons — rainy and dry. During the dry season, we could lose most of our animals due to shortage of water and pastures.” Indeed, he had even abandoned his vegetable farming, concluding that dairy offered a more viable, albeit challenging, path.
A New Dawn
But Kansiime’s story, once a stark illustration of climate vulnerability, has undergone a remarkable transformation. Today, he surveys a verdant expanse, a thriving seven-acre pasture farm where lush green fodder sprouts under the careful hum of solar-powered irrigation. His cows, once gaunt, are now robust, their milk production steady even as the dry season bites. The secret, a potent blend of innovation and resilience, lies in the Distributed Renewable Energy Ecosystem Model (DREEM). This groundbreaking initiative is bringing solar energy and climate-smart agriculture to farmers like him across rural sub-Saharan Africa.
Three years ago, Kansiime was among a select group of farmers chosen for DREEM’s intensive training. Here, they were armed with knowledge – alternative fodder production, crucial water conservation techniques, and sustainable pasture management – all designed to withstand the unforgiving dry spells. Crucially, through DREEM’s partnership with the government, Kansiime acquired affordable solar-powered irrigation systems, a decisive break from the fickle dependence on rain-fed farming. The farmers also benefited from motorised chaff cutters and high-yield pasture seeds like “sugar graze,” a vital step in ensuring year-round feed.
The Power of Self-Sufficiency
Today, Kansiime’s land, once a testament to struggle, is a model of green productivity. “Feeding our cows instead of them looking for their own pasture is good these days,” he says with a satisfied smile, the relief palpable in his voice. “We now feed them well throughout the year with pasture that we’ve grown ourselves. We make silage and store it, but we also sell the excess to other farmers who haven’t planted.”
The impact extends far beyond his own farm gate. Kansiime is the influential chairperson of the Kalyabulo cooperative, a collective of 100 dairy business members. This group, leveraging their solar-powered success, now processes and exports milk to Kenya and Tanzania, bolstering East Africa’s food security while generating vital foreign exchange. His own herd has swelled to 70 dairy cows, and the cooperative collectively produces an astonishing 4,500 litres of milk per day, sold as fresh milk and yoghurt.
The benefits ripple outwards to the cooperative members, who receive subsidised prices on essential equipment such as chaff cutters for silage making, solar pumps, and even solar water heating/home systems, all with flexible instalment options. “We use solar for irrigation, which means we have enough water for farming. This eases the work and sustains our farming business,” Kansiime affirms, his voice brimming with the quiet pride of a self-made man. “Being a dairy farmer has improved my family’s living standard — it’s the only business I do, yet it provides for all our needs. I’ve even employed four workers to help on the farm.”
Greening the Dairy Value Chain
Uganda, a significant player in regional dairy, produces approximately five billion litres of milk annually, with 40 per cent destined for COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) markets. William Matovu, the Heifer International country director in Uganda, highlights a critical shift: previously, 90 per cent of the 86 cooperatives they work with relied on polluting diesel generators for milk cooler systems. By championing solar energy solutions and empowering farmers like Kansiime, they are “greening the value chain, making it more sustainable and resilient for food production.”
The environmental dividends are substantial. “By just introducing one solar station at one collection centre, you reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about four tonnes per month,” Mr. Matovu tells Climate Action. “Secondly, eliminating the use of generators on farms contributes to a more sustainable agricultural system.” He emphasizes that sustainable pasture production, especially with irrigation, creates a virtuous cycle of benefits for farmers, improving feed conversion rates and consequently reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.
Joseph Murabula, CEO of the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre, echoes these sentiments. “In terms of climate change, dairy is considered the biggest polluter in the agriculture sector. By greening the dairy sector, we reduce about 50 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.”
The DREEM project is expanding its reach in Kenya, with 23 farmers in Laikipia, Isiolo, Kitui, and Makueni counties recently brought on board. The Kenya Climate Innovation Centre acts as the coordinating hub, partnering with various organisations to provide skills development, community impact, access to finance, and portfolio management for these enterprises.
Overcoming Hurdles, Investing in the Future
“We expect continuous adoption of solar energy technology, scaling up operations, creating more jobs—especially for youth—and leveraging these enterprises to sustainably reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Murabula, envisioning the project’s transformative potential. He underscores the deliberate choice to prioritise “marginalised areas with increasingly erratic weather,” acknowledging that “If we don’t intervene where the need is greatest, who will?”
Yet, the transition to solar-powered farming is not without its hurdles. The prohibitive upfront cost of solar systems remains a significant barrier for many smallholders. However, a crucial boost has come from a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, enabling the direct support of individual farmers based on their specific needs.
Sam Passmore, who directs the environment programme at the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, affirms their decade-long commitment to supporting grassroots farmers through partnerships with both private sectors and governments. Speaking at the recent DREEM conference in Limuru, attended by officials and farmers from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, Mr. Passmore declared, “We are deeply committed to empowering youth and women in agriculture. In Tanzania alone, we’ve supported 150,000 people to adopt green energy solutions. The DREEM hub’s work—and the collaboration of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania—shows incredible momentum. This isn’t just about technology; it’s about transformative impact on regional food.”
For Kansiime Jackson, and countless others like him, the sun-drenched fields of their farms are not just a source of livelihood; they are a testament to resilience, innovation, and the quiet revolution unfolding across East Africa.
