The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has partnered with Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources to implement a 5-year project aimed at boosting farmers’ capacity on agroecological-based farming practices to improve agricultural output in the country.
The project dubbed ‘Capacity Building Related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements in African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries popularly known as ACP-MEAs3’, will be implemented through the Farmer Field School (FFS) approach and supported by the European Union.
One main objective of ACP-MEAs3 is to integrate biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, along with sound management of agrochemicals, into Rwanda’s agricultural policies and practices, both at policy and field levels.
According to Innocent Karangwa, the National Director of African Institute for Economic and Social Development – Agri Service – INADES-Formation Rwanda, the new module brings together best practices for sustainable agrobiodiversity management in farming the will benefit growers in the wake of the increasing climate change threats.
This new approach incorporates the health of the entire ecosystem at heart as opposed to the old one which only focused on the bumper produce without considering the negative effects of chemical usage on farms and the environment,” said Karangwa.
Use of organic fertilizers
In this, INADES will, instead of synthetic fertilisers, put more emphasis on the use of organic fertilizers such as chicken manure, cattle manure, green manure of field crop residues composts, bone meal, household waste, bio fertilizers among others.
“With this, we are looking into improved soil health, soil water holding capacity, balanced nutrient supply and the entire soil structure brought to life,’ said Karangwa.
Food security and nutrition, resilience to environmental changes, genetic resources for adaptation, and sustainable resource management among others are some of the importance the farming approach is expected to offer target communities.
Biodiversity-agriculture link
On her part, Florence Uwamahoro, the Deputy Director General in charge of Agriculture Development at Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), said the new farming approach is good in enhancing extension agents’ knowhow of biodiversity-agriculture connections.
According to Paracha Ajmal Mehnaz, the Senior Policy Advisor of FAO, the organization is committed to fostering biodiversity values in the agriculture sector for sustainable agriculture in Rwanda for the benefit of local communities.
About ACP MEAs
ACP MEAs is a partnership involving the European Union, the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and FAO, promoting environmental sustainability and strengthening environmental governance and implementation of related Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in ACP countries, including Rwanda.
