To feed a growing and increasingly urbanized population, Uganda needs to increase crop production without further exhausting available resources. Therefore, smallholders farmers are encouraged to adopt sustainable crop intensification methods such as inorganic fertilizer or hybrid seeds. However, these farmers perceive these new technologies as risky, hence adoption will depend on how well they can manage this additional risk. This article documents patterns observed in socio-economic data that suggest risk is an important barrier to sustainable crop intensification practices among Ugandan small-holder rice and potato farmers.