Upscaling sustainable soil management in transforming Rwanda's agrifood system
Agricultural production is the mainstay of Rwanda, with the majority of the country's population relying on agriculture for their livelihoods. In recent years, rapid population growth and limited potential farmland have led to tremendous pressure on soils. In Rwanda, unsustainable soil management practices have led to soil acidification and erosion, as well as a decline in crop yields and quality.
To address the issues and challenges of soil management in Rwanda, a project titled "Capacity Building for Sustainable Soil Management in Rwanda" was carried out from July 2020 to September 2023. This project received support from the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDSSC) of China, the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division (PST), the Land and Water Division (NSL) through its Global Soil Partnership and the FAO Rwanda country office.
In collaboration with all the partners, the FAO Office in Rwanda held a closing meeting of the project in Rwanda on 29 September to summarize the outcomes of the project and share the successful experiences with African countries. Mr Ye Anping, the director of PST, and Ms Coumba Sow, FAO Representative to Rwanda, delivered opening remarks. Mr WANG Jiaxin, the Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda, Mr Telesphore Ndabamenye, Director General of Rwanda Agricultural and Animal Resources Development Bureau, were joined by 50 representatives from various Rwandan organizations during the on-site activities of the project's closing meeting. Additionally, two training sessions on soil fertility management and soil laboratory techniques were conducted on 27 and 28 September, with 40 trainees from Rwandan partner institutions taking part in these sessions.
The project significantly enhanced Rwanda's soil testing capacity by delivering 18 items of soil laboratory equipment, conducting training programs, enhancing the national soil database through a comprehensive soil survey, refining farmers' soil management practices through field trials and demonstrations, and offering valuable policy recommendations for sustainable fertilizer management in Rwanda. This project played a key role in helping Rwanda overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and fertilizer crisis, making substantial contributions to the transformation of Rwanda's soil monitoring and management system.
Sustainable soil management remains a challenging journey, and FAO is committed to collaborating with all of its members and partners to address the global soil challenge. One of FAO’s objectives is to advocate and promote the sustainable management of soils with the ultimate goal of accelerating progress towards better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.