A better future for 3,000 farmers

Help 3,000 farmers in Rwanda out of poverty for €215  per family!

The Inclusive Trading Initiative (ITI) has been implementing an agricultural program in East Rwanda since 2018, training farmers to improve their farming methods and business practices. This makes them less vulnerable to climate change and enables them to earn a good income. Over the years, ITI has optimized its approach and has already reached 2,000 farmers! The program is now being scaled up to include an additional 3,000 farmers. The program is unique and focuses on poor farmers. Its goal is to enhance biodiversity and sustainability in cultivation. At the same time, farmers are connected to the export market, allowing them to significantly increase their income.

Rwanda
Rwanda is a relatively small and densely populated country. On average, a farmer has 0.3 hectares of land to earn an income to support their family. Due to climate change, farmers face additional challenges. In recent years, rainfall patterns have become unpredictable. It is not surprising that 70% of the rural population lives below the poverty line, earning less than €1.80 per day. ITI’s program brings structural change to this situation. The farming techniques become climate-resilient, and at the same time, farmers earn significantly more, helping them to rise out of poverty.

Approach of ITI
The approach of ITI focuses on four elements:

1. Implementing sustainable farming techniques, natural irrigation, biodiversity, and soil management.
2. Improving the organization of farming communities.
3. Strengthening market positions.
4. Enhancing the farmers’ capacity for self-investment.

ITI achieves this by working closely with farmers in various districts, providing training, and offering frequent crop guidance. A drying station, storage facility, and input shop are set up to makefarming inputs available to the farmers. This makes ITI clearly visible in the community and recognized as a committed partner, where cooperatives are formed or existing ones are strengthened.

Farming Techniques
The foundation for the transition is a solid base. For the farmer, this means fertile soil that can absorb water well. By combining different crops (biodiversity), the farmer gains multiple advantages. This not only spreads their risks but also prevents soil depletion. Covering the ground with a thick layer of organic material helps reduce evaporation and ensures that the soil absorbs water better during rain. Additionally, farmers are trained in the use of high-quality seeds and seedlings, the application of compost, and how to naturally prevent and combat diseases. The availability of essential agricultural inputs is ensured by establishing a input supply shop in the community.

Organizational Improvement
The program provides organizational improvement at two levels:

• Individual Level: Farmers receive assistance in developing a solid farm business plan.
• Community Level: Farmers are encouraged to work together within a cooperative. This enables them to achieve a better market position and learn a lot from one another.

Market Position
ITI supports farmers in marketing their crops. We focus on the cultivation of bananas (matoki), maize, beans, and chili peppers. In Rwanda, there is a high demand for matoki, maize, and beans, as these are commonly used in daily meals. The chili peppers are dried and sold in Europe and Asia through an established company, Spices Rwanda Ltd. This company sets up drying stations in the villages and builds storage facilities so that farmers can sell their harvest immediately after harvesting. The company pays immediately , providing farmers with instant income.

Equity for Investment
To enable farmers to invest in their cultivation, the following actions are taken. Savings groups are established, allowing farmers to finance part of the necessary inputs themselves. Additionally, we provide crucial inputs on credit and set up a revolving fund for each area. During the delivery of chili peppers, the pre-financing of inputs is deducted form the sale price, ensuring the fund remains sustainable and available for the next production cycle. We strengthen the financial position of farmers through quick payments via mobile wallets on their phones.

Impact
ITI works with 2,000 farmers spread across seven production areas. The success of these farmers also attracts others to join the program. ITI regularly receives requests for support from several farmers cooperatives. To further expand the program, ITI aims to grow to approximately 5,000 farmers over the next four years, across seven production areas. Thanks to this project, farmers can quadruple their income, enabling them to rise out of poverty sustainably.

“Over the past years, we have developed a system to support farmers in transitioning their agricultural practices. We see that with good crop guidance, combined with the provision of the right agricultural inputs , farmers can achieve five times higher yields. By reserving part of the land for chili pepper cultivation, farmers can rise out of poverty within one season. The visibility of our team is essential. Through intensive training and very frequent crop guidance, we build a relation with the farmers and grow the trust needed to make this transition.” – Gerald Muzungu, the local program director

Project budget
To enable growth, we are looking for donors who’s heart resonate with this project. A budget has been established for each production area to realize our plans. Each production area includes four key components:

1. Two years of support from an agronomist and farm promoters.
2. A revolving fund to finance seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs.
3. A drying facility.
4. A storage warehouse.

Get Involved!
Since 2020, MissionInvest has partnered with ITI Rwanda in this amazingly beautiful project. We now want to scale up the project from the current 2000 farmers in 2024 to soon 5000 farmers in 2027. For the total period of 4 years a total amount of € 640,000 in donations is needed. This will allow us to realize seven full-scale production sites. Per year we need € 160,000. If you would like to finance a subproject, you can do so with ‘building blocks’ of € 22,400 for the construction of a drying house, or € 27,500 for providing a revolving fund, or an even larger ‘building block’ of € 59,400 for the construction of an export warehouse. The diagram below gives you a clear overview of the various options. In several locations we are already active and therefore a limited investment is still needed. In other locations everything still needs to be developed.

By supporting us, you will make a difference for 3,000 farming families! Do you feel inspired by this project? We look forward to explain more about this project to you!