The Advocacy Campaigns and Partnerships Program at the Center for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT) is designed to promote the rights to adequate food, health, and sustainable food systems.

Our primary objective is to ensure that everyone has access to safe, nutritious, and healthy food. We believe food is more than just a necessity—it is a fundamental human right. Everyone deserves the opportunity to grow, live, and thrive with dignity, beginning with the ability to eat well and stay healthy.

To achieve this, we employ a Human Rights-Based Approach, placing people at the center of all decisions and actions. Guided by the principles of participation, accountability, empowerment, and the rule of law, we work to ensure that all individuals—especially marginalized groups—are actively involved in shaping food and health policies that affect their lives. Their voices must be heard and respected.

At the core of this program is the belief that achieving healthy diets requires more than awareness—it demands enabling regulatory frameworks and effective implementation systems that protect the public, particularly vulnerable populations, from unsafe, unhealthy, and unjust food environments. Through coordinated advocacy, CEFROHT leads campaigns addressing structural challenges in Uganda’s food system, including:

• Food Safety Campaign
• Breastfeeding Campaign
• Seed Sovereignty Campaign
• School Feeding Campaign
• Agrochemical Use Campaign
• Greenwashing Campaign
• Environmental Justice Campaign
• Policy and Legal Reform Campaign

Each campaign targets specific gaps in Uganda’s food system, aligning national and regional policies with global nutrition and sustainability goals.

Collaborative Approach to Systemic Change

Recognizing that systemic change cannot be achieved in isolation, CEFROHT prioritizes coalition-building and a multisectoral, multi-stakeholder approach. We collaborate with civil society organizations (CSOs) in nutrition, health, agriculture, environment, and human rights to amplify our collective impact. This approach unites diverse stakeholders for training, capacity-building, and policy engagement, all working toward a system that guarantees the right to food and promotes healthy diets.

Key Partnerships & Stakeholders

1. Media Practitioners We have trained a dedicated network of journalists across print, radio, and television platforms to report on food and health issues through a human rights lens. These professionals raise public awareness, expose regulatory gaps, and advocate for stronger policy implementation on healthy diets and food safety.
2. Judges and Magistrates Through specialized judicial trainings, we empower members of the judiciary to enforce the right to food and health, utilizing tools like Uganda’s Human Rights Enforcement Act. These judicial actors play a critical role in interpreting laws, holding violators accountable, and protecting communities from harmful food system practices.
3. Lawyers Via the Uganda Law Society Food and Nutrition Cluster, we mobilize lawyers to leverage legal frameworks and public interest litigation in advancing the right to healthy diets. They provide pro bono legal aid, contribute to food law reforms, and engage in advocacy for better regulation.
4. Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) We partner closely with UHRC to strengthen their mandate in monitoring, reporting, and acting on violations of food and health rights. This collaboration includes joint advocacy for policies that support healthy food environments.
5. University Students & Academic Institutions By establishing Food and Law Clubs in universities (e.g., Makerere University School of Law), we nurture the next generation of food rights advocates. Students are trained in legal frameworks, advocacy strategies, and research, gaining hands-on experience through internships, seminars, and grassroots engagement.
6. Local Communities & Leaders At the community level, CEFROHT facilitates dialogues with local leaders and LC1s, empowering communities to identify and address barriers to healthy eating. These discussions lead to enforceable by-laws and local policy interventions, supported by CEFROHT’s legal and technical expertise to ensure they are rights-based and community-driven.

Government & Regulatory Engagement

CEFROHT works with key government institutions, including:

• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Education and Sports
• Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development
• Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives
• Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs
• Office of the Prime Minister

We also collaborate with regulatory bodies like the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and the National Planning Authority (NPA). Our technical contributions have shaped critical policies, including:

• National Nutrition Policy
• Food and Nutrition Bill
• Consumer Protection Bill
• National Physical Activity Guidelines

Regional & International Collaboration

CEFROHT partners with organizations such as UNICEF, WHO, FAO, KELIN, IILA, Natural Justice (Kenya), TAWLA, and TANCDA to promote policy coherence and cross-border advocacy. We also engage the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) to advocate for a regional agroecology law, recognizing the interconnectedness of food systems and the power of regional policy in fostering healthy diets and ecological sustainability.

Our Impact

1. Raising Awareness on Diet-Related Diseases Through community dialogues, media campaigns, school programs, and stakeholder partnerships, we have increased public understanding of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity. Communities now recognize the link between dietary choices and chronic illnesses, empowering them to make healthier food decisions.
2. Shifting Consumer Behavior There has been a noticeable decline in demand for highly processed foods, sugary drinks, and snacks high in salt and unhealthy fats—particularly among youth and urban populations. This shift stems from public sensitization, advocacy for front-of-pack nutrition labeling, and education on the dangers of ultra-processed foods.
3. Critical Thinking About Food Systems People are now asking:
   • Where does our food come from?
   • What is in it?
   • Is it good for us?
   • Is it sustainably produced?

   This growing consciousness is driving demand for:

   • Healthier school meals
   • Regulation of junk food marketing to children
   • Support for local food production
4. Understanding Food Systems Holistically Communities now recognize that food systems—from production to consumption—are deeply political, intersecting with climate change, culture, and the economy. As a result, more people advocate for:
   • Agroecological farming
   • Food sovereignty
   • Corporate and government accountability

Building a Sustainable Future

By integrating law, community voices, partnerships, and advocacy, CEFROHT is laying the foundation for a food future centered on health, dignity, and justice. Our accomplishments demonstrate that lasting change is possible through awareness, policy reform, and collective action.