Identifying high-priority impact areas for electricity service to farmlands in Uganda through geospatial mapping

Abstract

This article explores the food-energy nexus in sub–Saharan Africa by studying opportunities for improved agricultural productivity through electricity access. The study fills an acknowledged data gap by using geospatial analysis to identify priority areas for serving on- and near-farm electricity demand, using maize and coffee farming in Uganda as a case study. We use publicly available data on electrification infrastructure and crop statistics along with a select portfolio of variables, to identify areas where least-cost electricity delivery models intersect with agricultural needs, thereby highlighting target areas for further investigation. These findings are validated by community surveys in a key farming district. The analysis finds significant areas of underserved staple and cash crop farmlands can be served through grid and mini-grid electricity access within the next ten years. Such framing provides a useful lens for informing near-term interventions, and the paper concludes with practical recommendations. • Spatial analysis is used to identify priority maize and coffee cropland areas for various electrification models in Uganda. • Analysis finds significant cropland area has limited access to electricity for primary processing such as milling activity. • Analysis identifies where grid extension and PV mini-grids are least-cost electrification approaches for underserved croplands.