In December, AgFunderNews hosted a webinar reflecting on what 2025 revealed about the global agrifoodtech sector and what lies ahead in 2026. The message indicated the era of hype-driven agrifood innovation (e.g. lab-grown meat) is fading, and what remains is a more grounded focus on businesses that work in real conditions.

This shift feels familiar in Uganda. For farmers and agri-entrepreneurs here, agriculture has never been about trends. It has always been about weather, soil, cash flow, and markets.

Welcome to the 6th edition of the  Rootical Times, our living record of the people and ventures reshaping food systems across Uganda. This  edition reflects a year of deep work inside the Rootical ecosystem, where founders moved closer to farmers, ideas met reality, and leadership took shape.

The Field Operator will play a key role in building a regenerative food-agroforestry-water business model. (S)he will support business development and market access for smallholder farmers in Soroti by implementing and maintaining syntropic agroforestry systems, water harvesting and irrigation structures. This role ensures smallholder farmers are supported to adopt regenerative practices and smooth functionality of solar powered irrigation systems. The role is ideal for a motivated self driven individual passionate about regenerative agriculture, community development, and social entrepreneurship.

“Jude, I wonder why you’re still broke. If I had half your engineering skills, I’d be super loaded.”

A statement that stuck. Spoken by a friend, it made Jude Barnabas Kibwota pause and reflect. After all, he had already built remarkable innovations Smart Farmer, Optimus, Powerwell, Soil Quality One, all designed to transform agriculture through technology. 

Yet, something was missing.

Welcome to the 6th edition of the  Rootical Times, our living record of the people and ventures reshaping food systems across Uganda. This  edition reflects a year of deep work inside the Rootical ecosystem, where founders moved closer to farmers, ideas met reality, and leadership took shape.

Are you passionate about creating a more inclusive and regenerative food system through entrepreneurship? Do you have a desire to transform farmers' livelihoods and promote healthy food for all, by building several businesses simultaneously?

Rootical is looking for a seasoned entrepreneur that has gone through the trenches of building one or more ventures successfully. You will work with our partners and team to design, build, and launch transformative agri-food businesses from within Rootical itself.

At Rootical, every step we take is rooted in a belief that food systems must be transformed by those who live within them, nurture them, and depend on them. That said, we are deeply excited to share one such step: Rootical Uganda will now be led by Abu Musuuza, who joins us as our new Director.

It’s one thing to design a venture on paper. It’s another to step into the field and hear a farmer say:

“We’ve been waiting for something like this!”

That’s exactly what happened when Chebet Diana, one of Rootical’s 2025 Founders-in-Residence, brought 25kg of Rwangume Irish potato seed to Kapchorwa. 

Clean. Traceable. Confidently branded under Sebei Irish Seed Limited with the slogan: “For Sebei farmers.”

In August 2023, Rootical kicked of with a Food Systems Leadership bootcamp. Data from our two-year post-bootcamp survey reveals a community of leaders who are advancing their careers, building regenerative businesses, and reshaping Uganda’s food landscape in tangible ways.

In just two years, Rootical has proven itself a pioneering force in Uganda’s agroecology and regenerative agri-food landscape. An independent evaluation commissioned by the Embassy of France in Uganda in 2025 confirmed that Rootical’s Founder Journey has not only exceeded expectations but also laid the foundation for a replicable and investable startup studio model across East Africa.

When you apply the principles of Organic Agriculture and Agroecology to business ownership… you’ll always end up quite close to what Steward Ownership is about, why and how it works. To shake up the food system, we need to re-think its foundations, with business ownership models being one of them for sure.

Rootical is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Accountant with interest of growing into the role of Business Analyst to support our portfolio businesses with accounting, financial compliance, analysis and forecasting. The ideal candidate will ensure accurate record-keeping, tax compliance, and efficient financial management using QuickBooks, while also developing business analysis to drive data-based decision-making. Apply now!

We are looking for a Field Operations Intern to support in piloting a regenerative food-water-energy business model in Soroti.

We are building a regenerative agri-business in Soroti; which aims to restore degraded landscapes in Uganda by leveraging syntropic agroforestry, community water harvesting systems, renewable energy solutions and market access.

We are looking for a Field Operator to play a key role in piloting a regenerative food-water-energy business model in Soroti.

(S)he will support business development and market access for smallholder farmers in Soroti by implementing and maintaining water harvesting and irrigation structures, syntropic agroforestry and solar energy systems. Apply now!

At Rootical, the human-centered design is embedded in our entrepreneurs' DNA. Discover how Emma continuously integrates feedback and refines his product to meet market demands. Learn how his "failing forward" mindset is scaling his agri-food business and transforming the Uganda’s food system.

We are looking for a passionate and detail-oriented Administration & Communications Intern to join our team and support our mission of building regenerative agri-food ventures in Uganda. This six-month paid internship offers a hands-on opportunity to gain experience in administration, content creation, social media management, and event support within a fast-paced startup environment. Apply now!

Explore the remarkable journey of embarking on our 2025 cohort. We received an overwhelming number of applications, each reflecting exceptional determination. Delve into the recruitment process, the profiles of our selected bootcamp participants, key demographics, and overall analytics.

Eden Seeds; an agroecological enterprise in Rootical’s studio is hiring a Sales and Production Coordinator in Wakiso district to oversee seed production, sales and distribution. Are you an agronomist with experience in sales and passionate about regenerative agriculture? Apply Now!

To change the food system, we need to re-think ownership. When the transition to a fair and regenerative food systems really starts to accelerate, we need purpose-driven agrifood companies to have strong foundations, to avoid mission drift and hostile take-overs. Read on for more on what steward ownership is about and why we need it.

In this article, we spotlight the remarkable progress of our Rootical 2023 Food System Leadership boot camp participants. From personal milestones to life-changing impacts. Take a deep dive into the survey insights that tell the full story!