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The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Rwanda signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Rwanda). It’s on this Thursday, 18th July, 2024, Kigali.
The MoU was signed by Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Ildephonse Musafiri and Ms. Kaori Yasuda, the IUCN Country Representative.
The focus of the MoU will be on agroforestry, conservation agriculture, and contributing to the fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA5) priority areas.
The PSTA5 is a guide to Rwanda’s priorities in the agricultural sector for the next five years, until 2029. This edition of PSTA is the first of its kind with a food systems approach at the core, calling for multi-sectoral interventions to achieve a resilient and sustainable agri-food system.
This collaboration comes after a recent meeting between Minister Musafiri and Ms. Yasuda, where strategies to increase fruit production through agroforestry projects in Rwanda were discussed.
IUCN has been prioritizing the use of agroforestry in all its programmes and initiatives to enhance livelihoods, improve soil fertility, and contribute to socio-economic gains among small-holder farmers in Rwanda.
Projects such as Sebeya have already demonstrated the benefits of agroforestry, with communities expressing appreciation for the fruit trees provided.
The Sebeya Project was implemented by various organizations and administrative districts in Rwanda and has shown how agroforestry can enhance agricultural productivity.
Other projects such as AREECA, TREPA, COMBIO, and DESIRA have also highlighted the importance of agroforestry in sustainable agriculture practices.
The MoU between the Ministry of Agriculture and IUCN Rwanda is expected to further strengthen these efforts and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient agricultural sector in Rwanda.
