Last week, the Uganda Association of Bakers announced that the price of bread would increase from Shs 5,500 to Shs 6,500 in November, citing skyrocketing wheat prices and rising fuel costs, which have increased operational expenses. However, bread is not the only food item whose price has increased in recent months. Several other food commodities have also become more expensive. According to Bank of Uganda’s Monetary Policy report for October, headline inflation rose to 4.6 per cent in September 2026 from 4.1 per cent in August 2026, driven by higher food crop prices. The increase has raised concerns among civil society organisations that the price increase could worsen the hunger crisis among communities already struggling to afford basic meals. Agnes Kirabo, the executive director of Food Rights Alliance, noted that the food items that were considered for low-income earners have also increased in prices, which has pushed the already struggling families to the edge. “Basing on Ugandan standards, posho and beans is the food for the struggling families. But now it is the food of the rich. A kilogramme of beans is between Shs 7,000 and Shs 8,000, while posho is around Shs 4,000,” she said. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), analysis released last week by the Government of Uganda and the United Nations, approximately 3.6 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, a figure expected to rise to 4.4 million by early next year. Kirabo warned that the growing food crisis could trigger a mental health burden among households due to the anxiety and depression that comes with the struggle of finding daily meals. “The worst thing is that many of us are going to get mentally ill due to this food crisis,” she said. She was speaking during the National High-level Post World Food Day policy Dialogue recently, where stakeholders from government, development partners, the private sector, civil society and farmers’ organisations gathered to discuss solutions to the current food system challenges. Under the theme: Innovate Today and Nourish Tomorrow, the dialogue aimed at identifying practical innovations and actions that individuals, communities, organisations and government can adopt to address food insecurity. Kirabo said the discussions should move beyond highlighting the challenges to identifying solutions that can help households and communities cope with the growing food crisis. The price increases come at a time when agricultural production is also facing significant challenges. A dry spell that started towards the end of April, coupled with unusually high temperatures, has affected crops, pasture and water sources in several parts of the country. In Karamoja, crop losses of between 50 and 70 per cent were reported in most areas by June. Communities in Greater Masaka and Greater Luwero have also reported lost harvests, drying water sources and livestock struggling to find pasture. The situation could be further complicated by changing weather patterns, with the World Meteorological Organisation projecting that El Niño conditions will persist through February 2027, which further raises concerns about possible flooding and further disruption to agricultural production. The consequences are particularly serious for children. The IPC analysis projects that approximately 122,100 children aged between six and 59 months in Karamoja will suffer acute malnutrition between March 2026 and February 2027, including 30,600 expected to experience severe malnutrition. Despite being regarded as Africa’s food basket, Uganda continues to grapple with worrying levels of starvation and malnutrition, raising questions about whether the country’s agricultural potential is translating into improved nutrition for its population. Hon Amelia Kyambadde, the Member of Parliament for Mawokota North, and the the chairperson of Parliament’s Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Committee, called for practical innovations in farming, stronger collaboration among government agencies and direct engagement with farmers to address the challenge. “The anomaly is that Uganda is considered to be the food basket of Africa. And when you sit here and look at the statistics of starvation and malnutrition, it is shocking,” she said. She said one of the solutions lies in bringing together different sectors, particularly agriculture, water and health, as well as non-governmental organisations working to fight malnutrition. She challenged policymakers to move beyond boardrooms and engage directly with farmers to understand their realities. Beyond policy coordination, agricultural organisations are turning to technology to help farmers improve production, access markets and strengthen household nutrition. Welthungerhilfe (WHH), together with Palm Corps, developed a digital agricultural application known as iKnowFarm to provide farmers with information on farming practices, nutrition, pest control and organic fertilisers. The application, which is available in eight languages, has reached more than 70,000 people, particularly refugees and host communities in West Nile and Karamoja. Jeanette Reinholds, the country director of Welthungerhilfe, said the platform also helps farmers identify markets for their produce and access information through visual materials, making it easier for those with limited literacy to benefit.The post Rising food prices could worsen hunger crisis, CSOs warn appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.