Climate-resilient agribusiness in Rwanda: Impact through the integration of agroforestry, enterprise, and value chain development

Climate-resilient agribusiness in Rwanda: Impact through the integration of agroforestry, enterprise, and value chain development

• 1.
  Climate-resilient agribusiness inRwanda: Impact through the integration of agroforestry, enterprise, and value chain development Dietmar Stoian, Jane Mutune, Amani Rukundo Nshutiyimana & Egide Gwaneza Tropentag, hybrid conference "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health" September 10 - 12, 2025 University of Bonn / ZEF, Bonn, Germany
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  Background Transforming Eastern Provincethrough Adaptation (TREPA) project • Focus: Eastern Province of Rwanda • Funded by Green Climate Fund (GCF) • Restoration of 60,000 ha of drought degraded landscapes ➔ climate resilient ecosystems through reforestation, agroforestry, restoration of pasturelands, and soil erosion control • Increasing resilience of 75,000 smallholder farmers ➔ climate-resilient agribusinesses
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  Key elements ofour integrated approach 1) Producing diverse tree seedlings 2) Promoting agroforestry and silvopastoral practices 3) Organizing smallholders into cooperatives 4) Linking cooperatives with markets for climate-resilient agroforestry products 5) Building capacities for climate-resilient agribusiness
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  Prioritizing value chains,enterprises, and interventions for climate-resilient agribusiness • Value chain prioritization through market and landscape appraisals ➢ Tree crops (e.g., fuelwood, timber, mango, avocado) ➢ Bee products (e.g., honey, beeswax, soaps, body lotions) ➢ Fodder (derived from agroforestry trees) • Enterprise prioritization ➢ Identification of 247 coops/SMEs operating across targeted value chains ➢ Prioritization of 101 advanced cooperatives/SMEs for business development
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  Value chain interventions:Tree crops • Diversification: products and services, markets, and clients • Business viability: developing strategies and business plans • Market linkages: brokering off-taker agreements
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  • Diversification: Beeproducts other than honey (beeswax, soaps, body lotions) • Physical infrastructure: Modern beehives, honey and wax storage stations, processing equipment • Business viability: Developing strategies and business plans • Brand development: 'Akagera' brand Value chain interventions: Bee products
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  Value chain interventions:Fodder • Diversification: tree-based fodder (in addition to grass and concentrate feed) • Physical infrastructure: establishing feed storage areas • Business viability: developing strategies and business plans
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  Cross-cutting interventions • RuralResource Centers: Integrated offer of inputs and services • Women and youth empowerment: Focus on involvement of marginalized groups in business development • Digitalized services: Climate and market information accessible through apps and digital platforms • Business roundtables and trade fairs: brokering business relationships and promoting local climate-resilient products
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  Conclusions • Increased impactof forest and land restoration programs through combined focus on landscape, climate, and business resilience • What: economic incentives needed for smallholder farmers to plant and manage trees on their farms • How: developing portfolios of agroforestry product value chains • Prerequisite: smallholder organization into cooperatives • Bottomline: integrated approaches spanning biophysical, environmental, socio-economic and political-legal aspects
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  Thank you [email protected] Dietmar Stoian