Rwanda

Rwanda is a land-locked country of 26 339 square kilometres (km²) with a population of 10.7 million, which makes it the second most densely populated country in sub-Saharan Africa. Around 20 000 km² are used for agriculture, with 90 percent of cropland on slopes of 5 to 55 percent, and 40 percent of cultivated land is at risk of severe erosion. The topography of the “land of a thousand hills” and the climatic conditions cause significant forest, soil and water degradation. Erosion, reduced soil fertility, and destructive rains are amongst the most frequent environmental problems affecting households. With a degraded and ever scarcer natural resource base, feeding Rwanda’s growing population will be a huge challenge in the near future.

Key achievements from 2016 to 2018

support to the development of the national Agroforestry Strategy and Action Plan to increase the adoption and development of agroforestry at scale;
facilitation of the national taskforce for sustainable agriculture and natural resources development, a multi-stakeholder platform for improved coordination across sectors;
organization of the Forest and Landscape Investment Forum in Rwanda on 16–17 May 2017 to showcase business opportunities and promote investments in forests and landscapes;
development of practitioners’ capacities to implement and share sustainable agriculture and agroforestry practices:
- regional experts’ knowledge sharing event co-organized with International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and Wageningen Center for Development Innovation, on “restoration within a changing climate”;
- facilitation of 13 Farmer Field Schools in the District of Rulindo and training of 50 key extension stakeholders on priority topics including: agroforestry, agricultural and livestock management practices, mushroom production, soil and water conservation techniques, gender, nutrition and management of income generating activities; and
support to Yanze farmers in landscape restoration, with over 12 000 tree seedlings planted.