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Rulindo District in Rwanda’s Land of a Thousand Hills is a model for supporting local development and sustainable agricultural intensification. The district has taken a holistic approach to sustainably use natural resources while increasing farmers’ incomes, creating more resilient livelihoods and improving the quality of people’s diets. With the help of FAO and its partners Fonerwa (Rwanda Green Initiative Investment Fund) and vegetable and flower farmers’ cooperatives, Rulindo District has created 4,815 new jobs, set aside 1,830 hectares of land for fruit production and agroforestry, used nine ponds for fish farming schemes and irrigation, and developed 1,950 hectares of progressive terraces. FAO hopes to replicate this successful model in programmes in other parts of Africa and the world.
The Rulindo region of Rwanda has much to teach us about the future of agriculture. The local government and FAO have teamed up to demonstrate holistic, sustainable agricultural practices. Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills with huge agricultural potential. The mountainous regions have a cool climate and abundant rainfall, making them ideal for growing a variety of crops such as coffee, tea, potatoes and bananas.
At the same time, the region faces numerous challenges. Runoff from steep slopes causes soil loss and erosion. Intensive agricultural activity leads to soil degradation; a booming population means more people to feed, while declining water quantity and quality put agriculture and livelihoods at risk.
Overall analysis
The benefits of a holistic, sustainable approach were on full display in Rulindo. By integrating the priorities and work plans of different government departments, this approach brought together programs that had never been linked together before. This sparked better dialogue between ministries and helped develop plans that better accounted for the relationship between natural resources and agriculture.
Incorporating best practices from past FAO support Kagera TAMP and other national initiatives Sustainable land management practices such as terracing are being implemented and expanded in Rulindo District under the Kagera Transfrontier Agro-Ecosystem Management Project. Other initiatives being implemented in Rulindo include agroforestry practices, soil and water conservation, integrated soil fertility management, crop-livestock integration, riparian protection and hands-on learning through farmer field schools.
Learning from past initiatives
One of these initiatives is better managing and protecting the water of the Yanze River, which is the main source of water for Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, and much of the region. It is a vital source of life and livelihoods.
However, due to climate change and the resulting volatile weather conditions, the river frequently floods, threatening to wash away valuable soil and threaten agriculture. In addition, siltation due to poor land management and uncontrolled water extraction leads to water shortages during the dry season.
To address these issues, FAO helped farmers plant 27 km of bamboo forests along the banks of the Yanze River. Bamboos can increase the stability of the riverbanks and prevent soil erosion. In addition, they can provide farmers with new products to sell in the local market. Bamboo can be used as firewood and construction material, and can also be used to make handicrafts.
Addressing soil loss first helps protect agricultural progress. From there, Rulindo has implemented various approaches to address soil degradation, such as intercropping and agroforestry, the practice of planting forests and shrubs on farmland.
Changing habits
With new partners like Fonerwa and the Vegetable and Flower Farmers Cooperative, the district helped encourage farmers to try more innovative practices and grow different varieties of crops. These partnerships created 4,815 new jobs, set aside 1,830 hectares of land for fruit production and agroforestry, used nine ponds for fish farming projects and irrigation water, and developed 1,952 hectares of progressive terraces (terraces built over several years through improved farming practices).
Providing new foods such as mushrooms and pulses can also help meet the nutritional needs of the population. Pulses are rich in protein and can be a good alternative to animal products.
Putting it all together
With FAO support, Rulindo has also recently established a market as an important part of the value chain, selling locally produced vegetables and flowers. People and businesses from all over the region come here to buy products, which now no longer need to be transported to other markets. This means less food is lost during transportation, especially in areas where infrastructure is often inadequate. In addition, the women, who are the main sellers of the goods, no longer need to travel to Kigali, which frees them up to do other things.
As a model for the region, Rulindo’s success offers many lessons for the rest of Africa and the world. FAO continues to support integrated, farm-to-fork sustainable development projects around the world.
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