Posted on April, 16, 2024 at 09:29 am
Joséphine Mukankusi's farm, located on the terraced slopes of the Karisimbi volcano in the northwest of Rwanda near the village of Karurambi, vividly illustrates the agricultural challenges of the country. The retired schoolteacher efficiently utilizes every square meter of her land, showcasing the shimmering plantings across her property. Cabbages, eggplants, beans, spinach, onions, beet, cassava, cereals, herbaceous plants, vegetables, shrubs... It's hard to put a figure to this abundant diversity, but it's part of a precise strategy to develop environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture in an overpopulated country with overexploited soils that threaten the population's food security.
Rwanda holds a record it could do without. With 13.3 million inhabitants concentrated in a territory smaller than Belgium, it has the highest population density on the continent. It has 483 inhabitants per square kilometer, compared with an average of 23 in Africa. But in what is said to be the "land of a thousand hills," the terrain is often steep. Urbanization is spreading to the countryside in this country with a rural population rate of 70%. Farmed plots are tiny, fragmented by strong demographic growth, even if the fertility rate is falling (3.8 children per woman in 2021, compared with 6 in 2000).
Nearly two out of three Rwandans are farmers, yet in 2022 the primary sector accounted for only a quarter of national wealth. "People are no longer dying of hunger, but the quality of their food is not good; a third of children are malnourished and suffer from stunted growth, especially in rural areas," observed Vedaste Mwenende, head of project monitoring at the Organization for Developmental Cooperation and Research (ACORD).
Mukankusi and the 30 or so families who are members of the same local farming organization are faring better than most of the surrounding farmers. Admittedly, the land in this region – the country's leading potato producer – is fertile. But its success comes from something else, specifically "going against the grain of official policy," explained Mwenende.
Since 2007, the Crop Intensification Program (CIP) has guided the agricultural sector, focusing on six key crops: corn, wheat, cassava, beans, potatoes and rice. "Farmers who contradicted this agricultural planning by diversifying their plantings had them uprooted," said Mwenende. Under Paul Kagame, who has been in power since 1994, planned leadership is the rule. Once decisions have been made, their implementation is often unstoppable.
"But that doesn't mean the program can't be questioned and adjusted if it fails to achieve its objectives and the 'big boss' becomes aware of this," explained a Rwandan consultant. Little by little, the authorities are relaxing the application of the CIP, which is ill-suited to microplots, impoverishes the soil and makes farmers dependent on chemical fertilizers.
Since 2018, Mukankusi has been taking a completely different path with ACORD. The organization's agronomists have taught her the techniques of diversified, nature-friendly agriculture. ACORD provided basic building materials to get her started. Today, Mukankusi's pride and joy can be measured by the enthusiasm she shows while giving a tour of the property. Behind the house is a barn housing a pregnant cow whose urine flows into a reservoir to enrich a vegetable compost. The cow's manure will also be used as fertilizer and its milk contributes to the daily diet.
She also knows all the secrets of the "push-pull" technique, which consists of introducing a plant that repels certain destructive insects. In this case, Desmodium plants in the middle of the beans. At the edges of cereal fields, Vernonia plants perform their invisible function as "mineral granaries," fertilizing and protecting the soil. Castor beans also act as pesticides. Under a shady avocado tree, Mukankusi and ACORD are experimenting with a new method of producing earthworm manure.
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All this – and everything else – is conscientiously recorded by the former schoolteacher in a large checked notebook. "I write down everything, out of professional deformation," she said with a smile. Profits and losses, all expenses, including the daily wages of the day laborers (1,500 Rwandan francs, or around €1 per day), all the plantings and their yields are recorded.
The teacher, mother of six daughters and a son between the ages of 13 and 30, chose to retire early in 2018, convinced that she would improve her income by taking up this activity, despite being restricted to a half-hectare. "I don't regret it," she said. "All my children are studying, and I'll be able to buy a second cow." In addition to the part she and her family consume, which greatly improves the quality of their nutrition, the rest of the production is sold on the markets, providing a substantial source of income.
A few kilometers further up the steep hill, Frodouard Munyemanzi and his family of eight have made the same choice as Mukankusi. Here, in the tiny village of Rwinzovu, the soil is stony. Life is harsh, the inhabitants silent, marked by a history heavy to bear.
The Northwest of Rwanda – and in particular this district of Musanze – was the stronghold of the clan of Juvénal Habyarimana, president from 1973 to 1994, and his wife, Agathe, two key architects of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. Following the victory of the Rwandan Patriotic Fron (FPR) led by current president Kagame in July of that year, the region became the scene of the so-called "infiltration war" waged by Hutu ex-genocidists who had taken refuge in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Until their defeat in the early 2000s, these extremists sowed terror and continued, their work of exterminating the Tutsis, albeit on a smaller scale.
A few dozen meters from the Munyemanzi farm, a field lies fallow, the shutters of the house closed. "The mayor used to live there, but he's gone now," said the patriarch, without giving any further details. It's been a long time since Juvenal Kajelijeli "left." The former mayor of Mukingo was sentenced in 2003 to life imprisonment for genocide and rape by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), a sentence later "reduced" to 45 years. In the words of the ICTR judge, the accused was "devoted to his vile cause," having embarked upon it as early as 1991, when he took part in the massacres of some 1,500 Bagogwe (Tutsi herders in northwestern Rwanda), foreshadowing the genocide.
Munyemanzi preferred to talk about his bio-pesticide mill. He showed off his seeds, vegetable beds, nursery and pigs. "I have three hectares. In Rwanda, that makes me a pasha," he said with a laugh. He also keeps an eye on his 300 avocado trees. "This is my retirement," he said.
"The organic market is emerging in Rwanda with the advent of a middle class, but it remains fairly unknown to farmers. And yet, the added value is greater than that of the traditional agriculture advocated by the government," said Mwenende. "But the authorities are starting to take an interest in our approach, not least because we're seeing an increase in non-communicable diseases, probably linked to the intensive use of fertilizers."
But the obsession with yields remains. At the end of December, the Moroccan Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), a global giant in the sector, inaugurated a state-of-the-art fertilizer production plant on the outskirts of Kigali, in a joint venture with Rwandan public partners. The $20 million (€18.6 million) investment is designed to increase agricultural yields by 40%. At the same time, the state is also planning to distribute hybrid and GMO seeds to farming groups on a large scale.
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" i="" write="" down="" everything,="" out="" of="" professional="" deformation,"="" she="" said="" with="" a="" smile.="" profits="" and="" losses,="" all="" expenses,="" including="" the="" daily="" wages="" day="" laborers="" (1,500="" rwandan="" francs,="" or="" around="" €1="" per="" day),="" plantings="" their="" yields="" are="" recorded.="" teacher,="" mother="" six="" daughters="" son="" between="" ages="" 13="" 30,="" chose="" to="" retire="" early="" in="" 2018,="" convinced="" that="" would="" improve="" her="" income="" by="" taking="" up="" this="" activity,="" despite="" being="" restricted="" half-hectare.="" "i="" don't="" regret="" it,"="" said.="" "all="" my="" children="" studying,="" i'll="" be="" able="" buy="" second="" cow."="" addition="" part="" family="" consume,="" which="" greatly="" improves="" quality="" nutrition,="" rest="" production="" is="" sold="" on="" markets,="" providing="" substantial="" source="" income.="" obsession="" yield="" few="" kilometers="" further="" steep="" hill,="" frodouard="" munyemanzi="" his="" eight="" have="" made="" same="" choice="" as="" mukankusi.="" here,="" tiny="" village="" rwinzovu,="" soil="" stony.="" life="" harsh,="" inhabitants="" silent,="" marked="" history="" heavy="" bear.="" northwest="" rwanda="" –="" particular="" district="" musanze="" was="" stronghold="" clan="" juvénal="" habyarimana,="" president="" from="" 1973="" 1994,="" wife,="" agathe,="" two="" key="" architects="" 1994="" genocide="" against="" tutsis.="" following="" victory="" patriotic="" fron="" (fpr)="" led="" current="" kagame="" july="" year,="" region="" became="" scene="" so-called="" "infiltration="" war"="" waged="" hutu="" ex-genocidists="" who="" had="" taken="" refuge="" neighboring="" democratic="" republic="" congo="" (drc).="" until="" defeat="" 2000s,="" these="" extremists="" sowed="" terror="" continued,="" work="" exterminating="" tutsis,="" albeit="" smaller="" scale.="" read="" more="" subscribers="" only="" eastern="" drc,="" wounds="" still="" raw="" dozen="" meters="" farm,="" field="" lies="" fallow,="" shutters="" house="" closed.="" "the="" mayor="" used="" live="" there,="" but="" he's="" gone="" now,"="" patriarch,="" without="" giving="" any="" details.="" it's="" been="" long="" time="" since="" juvenal="" kajelijeli="" "left."="" former="" mukingo="" sentenced="" 2003="" imprisonment="" for="" rape="" international="" criminal="" tribunal="" (ictr),="" sentence="" later="" "reduced"="" 45="" years.="" words="" ictr="" judge,="" accused="" "devoted="" vile="" cause,"="" having="" embarked="" upon="" it="" 1991,="" when="" he="" took="" massacres="" some="" 1,500="" bagogwe="" (tutsi="" herders="" northwestern="" rwanda),="" foreshadowing="" genocide.="" preferred="" talk="" about="" bio-pesticide="" mill.="" showed="" off="" seeds,="" vegetable="" beds,="" nursery="" pigs.="" three="" hectares.="" rwanda,="" makes="" me="" pasha,"="" laugh.="" also="" keeps="" an="" eye="" 300="" avocado="" trees.="" "this="" retirement,"="" organic="" market="" emerging="" advent="" middle="" class,="" remains="" fairly="" unknown="" farmers.="" yet,="" added="" value="" greater="" than="" traditional="" agriculture="" advocated="" government,"="" mwenende.="" "but="" authorities="" starting="" take="" interest="" our="" approach,="" not="" least="" because="" we're="" seeing="" increase="" non-communicable="" diseases,="" probably="" linked="" intensive="" use="" fertilizers."="" remains.="" at="" end="" december,="" moroccan="" office="" chérifien="" des="" phosphates="" (ocp),="" global="" giant="" sector,="" inaugurated="" state-of-the-art="" fertilizer="" plant="" outskirts="" kigali,="" joint="" venture="" public="" partners.="" $20="" million="" (€18.6="" million)="" investment="" designed="" agricultural="" 40%.="" time,="" state="" planning="" distribute="" hybrid="" gmo="" seeds="" farming="" groups="" large="" scale."="">Lemode