30 farmers from six districts Musanze, Rulindo, Nyabihu, Rubavu, Rwamagana  and Kayonza graduated on the 10^th of February 2022 in Musanze district, Northern Rwanda. These trainees have acquired a wide range of skills in farming Irish potatoes and other various crops. Now recognized as  FFS facilitators, they are helping other farmers in their communities to better farm, mainstreaming biodiversity and management of ecosystem services for better production, better nutrition, a better environment & a better life for all.

 They have been trained by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations with funds from the European Union through the Project’s 3^rd phase; ACP-MEAs3 (Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. The Farmer Field School training falls under the project’s out-put 2 “ Enhanced field implementation of measures for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the sound management of chemicals in agriculture, in ACP countries” The graduation ceremony was attended by Rwandan government senior officials, delegates of the European Union, and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Qualified trainees were awarded certificates of completion to recognize them as FFS facilitators and to applaud their dedication and commitment throughout the training. 

This graduation ceremony was preceded by a 2 day of training of the 5^th phase of  FFS/IPM training ( 8-9 February 2022) that took place in Musanze district. The FFS training builds the capacity of agricultural producers to shift towards ecosystem-based practices. Efforts of all stakeholders have to be deployed to keep food systems alive despite starkly clear challenges of climate change and global health emergencies that leash farmers’ potential.