| Challenge | Research Implications | Entrepreneurial Potential |
| Many people, especially from central Uganda, have grown up eating steamed food. Banana leaves, dry banana fibers, etc. used in steaming of food are becoming difficult to get, especially in urban settings. Crude alternatives e.g. sisal sacks, wood, etc, are being used. | Safety of crude alternatives in steaming food. Coming up with better, but still cheap, ways of steaming local foods in Uganda. | Better way(s) of steaming local foods may be marketed to (i) restaurants, catering units and hotels (ii) Kampala’s middle class grown up eating steamed local foods. |
| Processing and consumption of local brews has been left to the underprivileged class and rural folks. However, local brews are critical in cultural events such as introductory ceremonies. | Better and safer ways of processing local brews. Safer way to arrest fermentation, enabling the local brew stay at a desirable fermented stage for a sufficiently long period of time. |
Well processed local brew may have a substantive market within Uganda (especially for introductory ceremonies) and outside (Ugandans on Kyeyo). |
| Although Uganda is endowed with a lot of foods, it’s population suffers chronic malnutrition, especially children. | A nutritional package (s) that is locally appealing, affordable, tailored to nutritional requirements of children and having a relatively long shelf-life. | The nutritional package can be marketed to (i) schools (ii) NGOs, especially UNICEF (iii) hospitals, among others. |
| Pan-cakes are a snack made out of cassava flour sweetened using ripened bananas. Locally known as Kabalagala in most parts of Uganda, this snack has been a popular as way back as 1960s. Indeed, it is still popular in some sections of the local population, except that its quality has been grossly compromised. | Prolonging the shelf-life of Kabalagala. Making good quality but still affordable Kabalagala. Establishing the health advantages of eating Kabalagala instead of bread. |
This knowledge can lead to a vibrant business venture, specializing in the making and selling of Kabalagala. |
| Nutrition plays a critical role in the management of HIV/AIDS disease. | How the HIV/AIDS nutritional requirements can be met from locally available foods. | A safe and affordable nutritional package, targeting HIV/AIDS condition, can easily sale locally and elsewhere in the region. |
| Challenge | Research Implications | Entrepreneurial Potential |
| A lot of processed food on Ugandan market is either adulterated or has poor quality. | Developing a simple but effective taster for food quality. | Retailers of processed foods would provide a good market for this innovation, since it would ensure quality of what they are buying and also help in securing loyalty of their customers. |
| Maize, millet, rice, etc. is produced mainly on smallholder farms in Uganda. Here, the capacity to dry foods in a quality way is limited. By the time food arrives at the milling machines for processing, most of it is mixed with small stones, tiny soil lumps, bird drops, etc. | A local innovation that can help milling machines to remove non-food stuff (small stones, soil etc) shortly before grinding the grain food. | This innovation can be sold to food millers, coffee processors, etc. |
| Markets for pork are localised in Uganda and demand has peak seasons. | Surveying the local markets for pork, their sizes and peak seasons. Establishing the suppliers of pork and farm prices. |
This information would reveal opportunities for rearing pigs or for supplying pork as a middleman. |
| Minute edible fish (Mukene in Luganda) is a key ingredient in chicken feed. It is obtained from the lake. The source is however unsustainable, as Uganda’s experience of exporting fish has revealed. | A way of mass rearing Mukene. A way of mass rearing of Haplochromis species ( Nkege in Luganda), another small edible fish that was once endemic to but now almost depleted in Lake Victoria. | This knowledge can be owned and sold to government, Development Agencies, Conservation Agencies, Companies dealing in Chicken feeds, etc. |
| Housewives get upset when they find covered food in their kitchens was visited by small ants, cockroaches, etc during the night. | Designing a small and nice looking food cabin secured against entry by cockroaches, small ants, etc. | The product would have a good market out there, when well marketed. |
| Vegetables constitute an important source of micronutrients that is natural, culturally acceptable, easily applicable on food, etc. | Documenting vegetables with high levels of micro-nutrients. Establishing a combination(s) of vegetables that can provide adequate micro-nutrients. Formulation (preparation) of that combination(s) of vegetables for direct application on foods. |
Well labeled packages can easily sale in restaurants, in schools, in tertiary institutions, development agencies, etc. in Uganda and elsewhere in the region. |
| Wheat bread is one of the commonest retail items in Uganda. This bread often expires, and goes bad before it is sold. | Establishing a commercial use to which expired bread can be put. | This knowledge might give rise to a viable business. |
| Challenge | Research Implications | Entrepreneurial Potential |
| Traditional rural Uganda was characterised by various types of edible fruits, vegetables and wild foods. Although these foods had tremendous nutrients in them, they are systematically dying out, in part because of preference of foods from the developed or western world. An example of such a food is what baganda call “Ntuntunu”. | Establishing these foods, identifying their food value, including medicinal value. Finding out how to grow them or their readily available source |
If well marketed, they can give rise to a viable enterprise |
| Life style diseases are on the rise in Uganda. Nutrition plays a key role in these diseases. | Develop an annual educational program to sensitize the general public about proper nutrition in Uganda’s context. Approach program managers of radios/TV and sell them the idea. |
The program can attract ads and sponsorship, from which you can negotiate a pay. |
| Occasionally, brewers, local producers, bring on the market alcohol that is contaminated with toxins. Yet, it is difficult to distinguish contaminated alcohol. | Developing a taster for safer or consumable alcohol. | It could be sold to National Bureau of Standards in Uganda and countries in the region |
| Challenge | Research Implications | Entrepreneurial Potential |
| As the middle class grows in Uganda, so is the need to buy food. But food prices differ greatly across Uganda. | Develop an online service for food prices in Kampala and most other towns in Uganda. Market the service and continually update it. | Will attract adverts from agriculture and allied industries or businesses. |