In the framework of the FAO project ‘Feeding Urbanization: Building Prosperous Small Cities and Towns’, EPRN Consult Co Ltd carried out a urban food systems analysis in Rulindo district, Rwanda.

Rulindo district is one of the districts bordering the City of Kigali (CoK), located in the Northern Province with an area of 567 square kilometers and a population of more than 300,000 (which represents 2.7 percent of the total population of Rwanda). With the same projections mentioned above, in 2050, Rulindo district will double its population and 70 percent will live in small towns. The population growth and rapid urbanization will dictate radical changes and put additional stress on food systems; for instance, what foods are grown by producers in the rural and peri-urban areas and how they are traded, processed, distributed and marketed.

This document analyze food systems in Rulindo district, particularly in its small cities and towns, with a focus on key food chains as prioritized by the Food Liaison Advisory Group (FLAG) – group of stakeholders engaged in Rulindo food system governance– namely: maize, beans, Irish potato, vegetables (tomato), milk and eggs. Food chains and relevant stakeholders are analyzed taking into consideration the three dimensions of sustainability: social, economic and environmental.