Enhancing the role of rural farmers in achieving sustainable livelihoods for more sovereignty in food and income security options

This strategic plan is the result of a series of reflections conducted by the Rwanda program involving the team of staff, the beneficiaries targeted by the ending strategy namely the women caucuses, the social forums –amahuriro, the CHH, the stakeholders including the local governments and the civil society. The consultation was done through the external evaluation, the self-evaluation sessions with the beneficiaries, the field visits in situ and various workshops involving the stakeholders. The strategy is also inspired by the recent reports on the socio-economic situation in Rwanda including the EDPRS 2, the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis and Nutrition Survey 2012. This strategy follows a gradual curve whereby the first strategy (2007-2009) served as essentially a discovery of the essence of ‘Ihuriro’ approach with its core values of solidarity, inclusion and plat form of income generation in households across the rotating system of collective work.

In addition to the Ihuriro approach and the value chain approach to complement the achievements of the first strategy , the opening of the knowledge on agricultural policies is an added value. The additional focus of the strategy 2014-16 is embedded in engaging the SSFA in the realization and monitoring of the agricultural and land policies, policy influence and markets.
The external evaluation of the last strategy noted that the rural population remains outside the thinking and designing of agri policies and Practices hence out of ownership. Building a strong grass-rooted civil society as a means to engage citizens in collective action to rationally use the land, protect land, restore its fertility and conserve it for a longer term; will not happen if there are no capable and engaged leaders among the rural farmers, to keep the momentum and ensure its sustainability. This strategy is focused on this issue.