AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT DOMAINS FOR UGANDA:

1
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT DOMAINS FOR
UGANDA Using GIS and Multi-thematic Datasets to
Identify Strategic Agricultural Development
Opportunities
Jordan Chamberlin, Stanley Wood, John Pender and
Sam Benin International Food Policy Research
Institute
INTRODUCTION A development domain is the
spatial representation of preconditions or
factors considered important for rural
development, and can be characterized using
stratification criteria that, based on theory and
previous research, determine the comparative
advantage of rural areas with respect to
frequently occurring livelihood strategies.
Recent empirical studies in Uganda, Ethiopia, and
Kenya (e.g. Pender et al. 1999, Pender et al.
2003, Ehui and Pender 2004 Ruecker et al. 2003)
suggest that three factors, agricultural
potential, access to markets and population
density, provide good explanatory power in
predicting the type of agricultural enterprises
and development pathways encountered in different
rural communities. These three factors also show
a high degree of spatial dependency and therefore
lend themselves to spatial representation
(mapping). This knowledge can be used to stratify
geographic areas according to the prevailing
condition of each factor, and to map the
resultant combinations of factors (Wood et al.
1998). The different geographic areas delineated
through mapping these combination of factors are
termed Agricultural Development Domains. These
domains serve to stratify Uganda into areas where
different agricultural development strategies,
which demarcate priorities for action toward
enhanced agricultural and overall development,
are more or less likely to be successful.

• OBJECTIVES
• To stratify geographic areas according to major
  development constraints and opportunities
• To screen broad geographic areas as being more or
  less suited to specific development strategies
  and to focus follow-up research needs
• To provide a spatial framework for structured
  exploration of opportunities to transfer
  knowledge and technologies
• To strategize about where the most cost-effective
  development policies, investments and incentives
  will occur
• To utilize modern GIS technologies with a growing
  number of publicly available spatial datasets and
  to enhance the quality of information available
  for policy and investment decision-making

METHODS Agricultural Potential A schema was
developed for assessing agricultural potential in
development domains in terms of three classes
High potential, Low potential, and Not feasible.
Agriculture potential is determined by length of
growing period, a soil quality index, and
elevation. Protected areas were excluded. Market
Accessibility As with agriculture potential, this
factor is complex and definable in many ways.
Opportunities for gathering market information,
obtaining credit, institutional and cultural
factors may not always be congruent with
settlement size and connectivity. However, we
adopted a practical metric of market using
physical distance and travel time for five types
of market local trade, regional market towns,
central/capital markets, cross-border trade and
international fresh food markets. Population
Density This factor is based on 2000 population
density from GRUMP (Global Rural Urban Mapping
Project) (CIESIN/IFPRI/CIAT 2005). Development
Domains The above three factors together capture
much of the information necessary to provide an
overview of conditions that guide rural
development options. Development domains shown
here are defined on the basis of high and low
classes of agricultural potential, market access,
and population density.
Agricultural Potential
Original Data Length of growing period
Classified Data
Agricultural potential is represented as the
synthesis of factors that circumscribe the
absolute potential of a given location to produce
agricultural commodities. Determinants can
include rainfall, temperature and soil quality.
Development Domains
Market Accessibility
Classified Data
Original Data Travel Time
Market access is a key factor in determining how
a locations absolute agriculture potential
translates into comparative advantage for
different productive activities. The proxy used
in this study was travel time.
Population Density
Original Data Population Density
Classified Data
Population density reflects the status of several
development factors including labor
availability, local demand and management of
natural resources (land/labor ratios).

• TECHNOLOGY USED
• ESRI Arc GIS 9.0 (Redlands, CA)
• ESRI Arc View / Arc Info 3.2 (Redlands, CA)
• IDRISI Kilamanjaro (Worcester, MA)

• SELECTED REFERENCESS
• Pender J.L., F. Place and S. Ehui. 1999.
  Strategies for sustainable agricultural
  development in the East African highlands. EPTD
  Discussion Paper 41. Washington DC IFPRI.
• Ruecker, G., S.J. Park, H. Ssali and J. Pender.
  2003. Strategic targeting of development
  policies to a complex region A GIS-based
  stratification applied to Uganda. ZEF Discussion
  Papers on Development Policy, Discussion Paper
  No. 69, Center for Development Research,
  University of Bonn.
• Wood, S., K. Sebastian, F. Nachtergaele, D.
  Nielsen, and A. Dai. 1999. Spatial aspects of the
  design and targeting of agricultural development
  strategies. EPTD Discussion Paper 44. Washington,
  DC IFPRI

• CONCLUSIONS
• Development domains help policy-makers understand
  and act upon the need for development
  interventions that better match local constraints
  and opportunities
• Development domains assist in the assessment of
  the potential geographic range of feasibility of
  specific development strategies
• This methodology identifies and helps prioritize
  geographic areas for more detailed study for
  investment purposes
• The use of a common approach across countries
  aids in the design of regional scale programs and
  identifies potential for cross-country spillovers
  of knowledge and technology

Poster was prepared by Sam Benin
This research was funded by the United States
Presidential Initiative to End Hunger in Africa,
supported by the United States Agency for
International Development