TREES FOR FOOD SECURITY- 2 PROJECT

1Trees For Food Security- 2 Project Overview In Rwanda

TREES FOR FOOD SECURITY- 2 PROJECT

Overview in Rwanda

African Network forAgriculture, Agroforesty

& Natural Resources Education

2 Trees For Food Security- 2 Project Overview In Rwanda

About the projectRwanda faces massive land degradation thus, resulting to poor subsoil that can hardly support good crop yields leading to food and nutritional insecurity and escalating rural poverty. Evidence from T4FS-2 project shows that agroforestry interventions have the potential of reversing this trend while providing products and services that are vital for sustainable rural development.

Project Sites and partners

New sites in addition to sites covered during phase 1:

Bugesera district: Nyamigina in Mareba sector; Musenyi in Musenyi Sector; and Maranyundo in Nyamata Sector;

Rubavu district: Bisizi and Gikombe in Nyakiriba sector; Kamuhoza in Kanama Sector;

Nyabihu district: Gihira in Karago sector and Ruhengeri in Mukamira sector

The project is implemented by the World Agroforestry (ICRAF) in partnership with Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), University of Rwanda, World Vision and Urugaga Imbaraga (a confederation of farmers)


Project achievements• 5,669 people are directly participating in the project

• Strategies used to scale up project activities include capacity development, sensitization meetings, Community work (Umuganda) and establishment of participatory trials.

Project beneficiaries

Activity Total people directly participating the project

Total people reached*

Tree planting and participatory trials 2053 5133

Umuganda 3117 7793

Capacity development through trainings, extension and demonstrations and RRCs 480 480

Post graduate students 4 4

Other academic trainings (internships, professional trainings) 15 15

Total 5,669 13,425

*Households multiplied by 2.5, the average number of people per household

1. Farmer participatory trials and data collection1,307 participatory trials have been established as follows:

Types of participatory trials

Gishwati BugeseraBiomass incorporation 56 129 185Soil Conservation 114 9 123Stakes for climbing beans 81 127 208Fruits for nutrition and income (Total) 161 630 791

Tree tomato 138 472

Avocado 23 77

Mango - 57

Papaya - 24

Total 412 895 1,307

To enhance collection of quality real time data, the project changed from paper format to ODK and data has been collected, analysed and preliminary results documented.


ODK Training in Rwanda photo Anne Kuria

2. Long term trials• Sap flow gauges have been installed in the long-term trials on Grevillea robusta, Markhamia lutea and

Faidherbia albida. Access tubes established, and weather stations installed in Karama Long term trial site.

• Potato and maize were harvested in Tamira and Karama long-term trials respectively (Season two 2018). Plans are underway to plant wheat and beans in season one of 2019 in Tamira nd Karama, respectively.

• Further data collection and analysis is in progress

Long term trial of Alnus acuminata and Croton macrostachyus at Tamira, RAB station in Rubavu district , Westerm Province of Rwanda photo Jean Damascene


3. Water management in Rwanda66 base maps (Digital Elevation Model - DEM, Land use, Soil, Rainfall, Slope, Temperature) and 33 thematic maps (Land and water management options, Potential runoff & Potential soil loss) were generated at great level in detail. Land and water management options identified for all the sites

More than 70% of Gashora landscape is sustainable but can be improved. The area requiring soil and water conservation and Agroforestry interventions is 16.27Km2 or 16.5% of the sector. The proportion of the sector deemed sustainable is 9.8%.


4. Rural Resource Centres (RRC) for learning and quality germplasm supply

• The two RRCs established in phase one of the T4FS project are being maintained in phase 2, while five satellite nurseries established in five sectors (Rweru, Juru, Mareba, Musenyi, Nyamata) of Bugesera continue to be used for training and demonstration of agroforestry technologies as well as tree distribution

Karago RRC photo Ruth Kinuthia

From the RRCs, the following activities have been undertaken:• Production of 78,710 tree seedlings in Bugesera RRC and 60,200 tree seedlings in Karago RRC.

• Production of 317,379 tree and fruit seedlings in Bugesera satellite nurseries

• Distribution of 58,734 tree seedlings from Bugesera RRC and 55,350 seedlings from Karago RRC

• In Gishwati, distribution of 29,694 tree tomato seedlings, and 500 grafted avocadoes. In 2018, 457 seedlings of grafted avocado were distributed to 171 households and 431 tree tomato seedlings distributed to 164 households in the model village of Bahimba

• In Bugesera, there was distribution and planting of 172,620 tree seedlings from satellite nurseries of Juru, Mareba, Musenyi, Nyamata and Rweru

• In Bugesera, distribution and planting of 135,968 fruit seedlings by 1,730 households was as follows: 4,249 grafted avocadoes by 325 households, 4556 grafted mangoes by 161 households, 8,230 Papaya by 190 households and 118,933 tree tomatoes seedlings by 1,054 households.

A resident of the model village and beneficiary of tree tomato trees from Nyundo satellite nursery. photo Ruth Kinuthia

5. Assessment of potential tree-based value chains and financing options

• Three tree-based potential value chains were identified: Establishment of private tree nurseries and tree tomato and Grevillea robusta (for timber) value chains.

• Value chain financial options identified include: Equity capital-building of savings; Group savings- cooperative and Linking of cooperatives to financial institutions.

• An MSc student undertook a study on women’s participation, with the thesis outlining strategies for developing tree seedling nurseries to benefit women.


Sensitization of farmers and students at Karago sector, Nyabihu district

6. Policy and stakeholder engagement• ICRAF was engaged by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in the development of a Rwandan

National Agroforestry strategy. Refined list of drivers for institutional strengthening in agroforestry is incorporated in the new agroforestry strategy and action plan for Rwanda.

• The project has attracted buy-in from the local government. Imbaraga was tasked with developing a regreening model to plant trees around the group settlement while one innovation platform in Bugesera was contracted to produce 440,000 tree seedlings for USD 27,650

• Guidelines on how to accelerate agroforestry adoption using Umuganda approach have been developed

• Three new innovation platforms have been established in Bugesera

7. Capacity development

Training on soil and plant sampling and measurement for model development, calibration and validation photo Jean Damascene


• Approximately 480 beneficiaries have been reached through various capacity development initiatives such as trainings and demonstrations

• Currently the project supports 1 MSc (female) and 3 PhD (3 male) students. One PhD student is scheduled to join the project in 2019

Development of a web-based Interactive Suitable Tree Species Selection and Management Tool for Rwanda: http://www.worldagroforestry.org/suitabletree/rwanda. Plans are underway to expand the tool to cover tree species encountered in new sites, translate it into local language and convert it into a mobile application.

8. Assessment and review of agroforestry curriculumAn assessment of agroforestry curricula and extension training was done involving two Universities/Colleges, 1 Integrated Polytechnic and 6 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions offering forestry and/or agroforestry courses. Skill gaps on some agroforestry components such as socio economics and biodiversity were identified. Designing of improved curriculum involving all stakeholders is underway.

Farmer testimonies: Fruits, tree nurseries and stakes for climbing beans as sources of income and nutrition1. Cooperative nursery in Bugesera- Rweru sectorCooperative nurseries are driving change in local landscapes through providing seedlings for increasing tree diversity, providing income and through empowering community members. “The nursery was established in 2015 under T4FS Phase 1 and is run by a group of 45 members. It has been instrumental in providing fruit tree seedlings such as tree tomatoes, mango and pawpaw to farmers in the sector. The members have greatly benefitted from acquiring the seedlings for planting on their farms; and through capacity development on nursery management, grafting, tree planting and management” Emmanuel, president of the cooperative nursery.

Ongoing activities at the satellite nursery in Nyundo. Photo Ruth Kinuthia


2. Potential for increased income from private nurseriesThe establishment of RRCs as learning, demonstration and training avenues for farmers has had a major impact in terms of empowering farmers to initiate their own private nurseries. One such farmer is Francoise Mukandekezi. “I started the nursery in 2016 after learning about nursery management practices from the project’s cooperative nursery in which I am a member of; now I make more income from this nursery and I have been able to buy land from the proceeds from this nursery”.

Francoise Mukandekezi at her nursery Photo Catherine Muthuri

3. Increasing household incomes through Tree tomatoesTree tomatoes have been widely adopted by farmers, who are already deriving numerous benefits from them through both improved household nutrition and income. The tree tomato value chain appears to be one way of increasing incomes of farmers, and presents a source of employment and wealth creation across gender categories including the youths. “I have 10,500 tree tomato plants out of which I sell about 500 kilograms of fruits in the dry season, and 1,200 kilograms in the rainy season. I make a net of 150,000 Rwanda Franc (RWF), equivalent to 170 USD, per month from the sales. This has helped me increase my rented farm to 2 hectares, from a 60×140 metre farm, which I had purchased in 2015, the first time I planted tree tomatoes,” shared Emmanuel Tuyireze.

In order to help farmers realize the full potential of tree tomato farming, key challenges should be addressed such as adoption of irrigation and other water harvesting technologies in the dry areas of Bugesera, and also the need to explore and strengthen market potential of the value chain e.g. linkage with the private sector actor.

4. Biomass incorporationEvidence from the field shows that tree biomass plays a critical role in enhancing soil quality including soil fertility, which in return translates into increased crop yields, food security, improved nutrition and increased incomes. This has been observed by several farmers:

“I was using Alnus as stakes, firewood and poles but never knew it was a powerful source of green manure with high potential of improving soil fertility, besides compost and manure, we have another important type of fertiliser,’’ highlighted Marie Jose

“When you consecutively apply green manure for many seasons (four to five), the soil becomes dark in colour, which is a sign of good soil health,” shared Yankurije Theogene.

Emmanuel Tuyireze, a tree tomato farmer on his farm in Bugesera


‘’I have applied 13 acres of land with green manure from Gliricidia, in 2016 I harvested 150kg of maize and beans last season, the produce increased to 400kg. I made 200,000 RwF (USD 220) from sale of some produce that I used to purchase a piece of land. I intend to plant more Gliricidia trees so that I have more green manure’’ said Habihirwe Diogene

Habihirwe Diogene, poses next to his Gliricidia sepium trees that he uses as green manure. Photo Ruth Kinuthia

5. Successful introduction of climbing beans in BugeseraHaving successfully supported the growing of climbing beans in the sub-humid Gishwati area in Phase 1 of the T4FS project, climbing beans were successfully introduced in the semi-arid Bugesera in phase 2 of the project.

Successful introduction of climbing beans in Bugesera: Photo John Nyaga


Opportunities• Development of national agroforestry strategy for Rwanda

• High demand of multipurpose agroforestry trees in all the sites

• Potential for income generation from establishment of individual and cooperative tree nurseries

• Successful introduction of tree tomatoes in the semiarid Bugesera and growing high demand for tree tomatoes in both local and national markets

Way forward• The Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB), a T4FS major partner in Rwanda, in-charge of agricultural research

and extension, has the intent to build 10 more RRCs (one in each research station) in addition to those established by the T4FS project.

• Extending the network of participatory trials and scaling out agroforestry technologies to the large number of farmers

• Quantitative follow up surveys to determine the extent of scaling and benefits and to complement the success stories shared by farmers


Contributors:Jean Damascène Ndayambaje, Athanase Mukularinda, Ruth Kinuthia, Providence Mujawamariya, Anne Kuria, John Nyaga, Canisius Mugunga, Judith Oduol, Maimbo

Malesu, Charles Bucagu, Athanase Katana, Sammy Carsan, Catherine Muthuri

ContactsJean Damascène Ndayambaje

Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB)National T4FS-2 project coordinator, Rwanda

[email protected]

Athanase MukularindaWorld Agroforestry (ICRAF)

ICRAF Rwanda Country [email protected]

Catherine MuthuriWorld Agroforestry (ICRAF)

T4FS-2 project [email protected]

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TREES FOR FOOD SECURITY- 2 PROJECT