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Promoting Food Security in Rwanda Through Sustainable Agricultural Productivity: Meeting the Challenges of Population Pressure, Land Degradation, and Poverty

Author

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  • Clay, Daniel C.
  • Byiringiro, Fidele Usabuwera
  • Kangasniemi, Jaakko
  • Reardon, Thomas
  • Sibomana, Bosco
  • Uwamariya, Laurence
  • Tardif-Douglin, David

Abstract

The horror of genocide and civil war have turned the world's attention to Rwanda over the last year. But before and beyond that conflict, there was hunger and the slow grinding poverty of small holder agriculture meeting with severe land scarcity and degradation. This report is about reversing the spiraling decline of the land and the economy in rural Rwanda. Three things conspire to accelerate this decline: unsustainable land use practices, insufficient non-farm employment, and rapid population growth. We focus on the forces behind productivity decline in Rwandan agriculture. This report examines how erosion, organic input use, soil conservation investments, use of fertilizer and lime, and land use strategies affect productivity. We then examine what determines farmers; productivity and conservation investments. The results are based on collaborative research between the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) and Michigan State University. The data derive from a detailed farm-level survey, one of the most comprehensive in Africa, conducted by the Division des Statistiques Agricoles (DSA/MINAGRI). The survey covered a nationwide random sample of 1248 households, and was undertaken of 11 years, from 1984-1994. DSA has been, and we hope will be again, one of the national treasures of Rwanda. Our key findings are that Rwandan framers need to sustainable intensify their farming by protecting the soil against erosion, and by enhancing soil fertility through the use of organic matter, and chemical fertilizer, and lime. Without more input access and use, inevitable intensification of farming, as holding grow smaller, will be based only on adding more labor and cropping more intensely, both of which will degrade soils and lead to greater hardship. Where farmers are now making these investments, we report successes. We find success is often predicted on confidence in the future, knowledge from extension services, cash and labor resources from off-farm earnings, holding livestock that provides manure, and planting perennial cash crops. The contributions of this report are: (1) in underscoring and focusing on priority strategies and questions regarding the many issues that have come in and out of development debate in the highland tropics of Africa, and (2) in the systematic application of detailed, nationwide survey data to these key questions. Moreover, the report points to the great value of excellent national agricultural statistics services and national capacity to analyze data and provide insights for policy debate.

Suggested Citation

  • Clay, Daniel C. & Byiringiro, Fidele Usabuwera & Kangasniemi, Jaakko & Reardon, Thomas & Sibomana, Bosco & Uwamariya, Laurence & Tardif-Douglin, David, 1995. "Promoting Food Security in Rwanda Through Sustainable Agricultural Productivity: Meeting the Challenges of Population Pressure, Land Degradation, and Poverty," Food Security International Development Papers 54054, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:mididp:54054
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.54054
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    Cited by:

    1. Reardon, Thomas, 1997. "Using evidence of household income diversification to inform study of the rural nonfarm labor market in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 735-747, May.
    2. Nkegbe, Paul K. & Shankar, Bhavani & Ceddia, M. Graziano, 2011. "Smallholder Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in Northern Ghana," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114608, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Traub, Lulama Ndibongo & Jayne, Thomas S., 2004. "The Effects of Market Reform on Maize Marketing Margins in South Africa," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54570, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    4. Pender, John L. & Place, Frank & Ehui, Simeon K., 1999. "Strategies for sustainable agricultural development in the East African highlands:," EPTD discussion papers 41, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Boris Bravo & Horacio Cocchi & Daniel Solís, 2006. "Adoption of Soil Conservation Technologies in El Salvador: A cross-Section and Over-Time Analysis," OVE Working Papers 1806, Inter-American Development Bank, Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE).
    6. Maredia, Mywish K. & Howard, Julie A. & Boughton, Duncan & Naseem, Anwar & Wanzala, Maria N. & Kajisa, Kei, 1999. "Increasing Seed System Efficiency in Africa: Concepts, Strategies and Issues," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54578, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Mather, David & Donovan, Cynthia & Jayne, Thomas S. & Weber, Michael T. & Chapoto, Antony & Mazhangara, Edward & Mghenyi, Elliot W. & Bailey, Linda & Yoo, Kyeongwon & Yamano, Takashi, 2004. "A Cross-Country Analysis of Household Response to Adult Mortality in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for HIV/AIDS Mitigation and Rural Development Policies," Food Security International Development Policy Syntheses 11322, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    8. Kelly, Valerie A. & Mpyisi, Edson & Murekezi, Anastase & Neven, David & Shingiro, Emmanuel, 2001. "Fertilizer Consumption in Rwanda: Past Trends, Future Potential, and Determinants," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 54769, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    9. Owusu, Victor & Gunning, Jan Willem & Burger, Kees, 2007. "Do Tenure Differences Influence the Improvement of Quality of Rented Land? Empirical Evidence from Rural Ghana," 106th Seminar, October 25-27, 2007, Montpellier, France 7933, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    10. John L. Pender & John M. Kerr, 1998. "Determinants of farmers' indigenous soil and water conservation investments in semi‐arid India," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 19(1-2), pages 113-125, September.
    11. Musafiri, Ildephonse & Mirzabaev, Alisher, 2014. "Long-Term Determinants of Agricultural Output in Smallholder Farmers in Rwanda," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 169867, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Richard J. Thomas & Emmanuelle Quillérou & Naomi Stewart, 2013. "The rewards of investing in sustainable land management," Working Papers hal-01954823, HAL.
    13. Nkonya, Ephraim & von Braun, Joachim & Mirzabaev, Alisher & Le, Quang Bao & Kwon, Ho Young & Kirui, Oliver K., 2013. "Economics of Land Degradation Initiative: Methods and Approach for Global and National Assessments," Discussion Papers 158663, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    14. Reardon, Thomas & Vosti, Stephen A., 1995. "Links between rural poverty and the environment in developing countries: Asset categories and investment poverty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 23(9), pages 1495-1506, September.
    15. Reardon, Thomas & Kelly, Valerie A. & Yanggen, David & Crawford, Eric W., 1999. "Determinants Of Fertilizer Adoption By African Farmers: Policy Analysis Framework, Illustrative Evidence, And Implications," Staff Paper Series 11779, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    16. Templeton, Scott R. & Scherr, Sara J., 1999. "Effects of Demographic and Related Microeconomic Change on Land Quality in Hills and Mountains of Developing Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 903-918, June.
    17. Musafiri, Ildephonse & von Braun, Joachim, 2016. "Long-term structural change and determinants of agricultural output in small-scale farming in Rwanda," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 11(4), pages 1-12, December.
    18. Pham, Hung T, 2006. "Rural Nonfarm Employment Under Trade Reform Evidence From Vietnam, 1993-2002," MPRA Paper 6476, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Templeton, Scott R. & Scherr, Sara J., 1997. "Population pressure and the microeconomy of land management in hills and mountains of developing countries:," EPTD discussion papers 26, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

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