With political will from the Rwanda Government and support from development partners, agriculture in Rwanda today represents both an incredible development and a profitable business opportunity
Employing 70 percent of the labour force in Rwanda and accounting for a third of the country’s GDP, agriculture not only has a great impact on the livelihoods of Rwandans but also provides a solid foundation for investment. Unsurprisingly, agriculture was the second biggest contributor to GDP growth in the third quarter of 2016, according to the latest National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) report.
For providing a great example of how land governance issues can be addressed, Rwanda was also chosen as one of the six pilot countries to implement the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). The programme aims to build the capacity of African countries to better address land governance concerns and support agricultural investment plans.
“By conceptualising an agriculture programme that has the securing of land rights and the consolidation of land use at its core, Rwanda has not only enhanced agricultural productivity but also harnessed economies of scale and improved market access and incomes,” said Andrew Mold, Acting Director of UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Eastern Africa.
