**2. RWANDA**

#### **2.1 Economy, agriculture and social development**

Rwanda with a population of about 12 million people experienced an economic growth rate of about 8% for the decade 2000–2010 [1]. The political stability and impressive economic growth that the country has experienced since the end of the civil war, has encouraged growth in the country's population. Food production also continues to benefit from both the stable and growing economy and population increase, especially of skilled labour. However, the rapid growth rate in the human population is undesirable, especially for the rural, agrarian and poor households, who also tend to bear a proportionately higher number of children than their urban counterparts. Rwanda embarked on Vision 2020 immediately from 1997 as it aimed at transforming itself into a middle income country by 2020 based on a knowledge-based economy and service-oriented sectoral growth [2]. Clearly defined, "Vision 2020," seeks to transform the country from a low-income, agriculture-based economy to a knowledge-based, service-oriented economy with middle-income country status by 2020. The goal aims to achieve rapid development sustained by the high economic growth, leading to poverty reduction and reduced inequality. From 2001 to 2015, the growth in real GDP averaged about 8% per annum [3]. Substantial improvements in living standards, a two-thirds drop in child mortality and near universal primary school enrollment are the result of stability, good economic planning and strong economic growth [4]. Despite the impressive achievements, Rwanda is a small, land-locked country in Sub-Saharan Africa that is part of the EAC, but can also pass for a country in Central Africa. It has the highest population density in Sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the poorest countries in the World, with about 47% of its population living on less than US \$1.25/day [5]. Agriculture accounts for 29.5% of GDP, 45.9% of employment, 63% of foreign exchange earnings, and meets about 90% of the country's food needs [5]. The majority of Rwandan farmers practice subsistence farming on small, hilly plots that are characterized by very low productivity. Up to half of the country's arable land is severely degraded, due to overuse and soil erosion, and, has low soil fertility. The country's agriculture relies on the application of insignificant amounts of pesticides, fertilizers and improved seeds [5]. Despite the above, Rwanda ranks the 123rd out of 157 countries in progress to meet the SDGs [6]. According to the most recent Rwanda Demographic Household Survey of 2015, the infant mortality rate is 32 per 1000 live births, with an under-5 mortality rate of 50 infants per 1000 live births [7].

The country launched the Crop Intensification Programme and Policy in 2007 in its quest for increasing food production, leading to improved output of beans, potatoes and cassava [8]. The Maputo Declaration of 2003 [9], in which African countries were advised to spend a minimum of 10% of their GDP on agriculture and food production, led Rwanda to adopt the Crop Intensification Programme, with the above results. Although it did not meet the 10% requirement, all indications are that it is on its way to achieve it.

#### **2.2 Food and nutrition security**

Despite the impressive achievement and commitment from the Government of Rwanda (GoR), food and nutrition insecurity still lingers in the general population. There are differences between the various poverty and nutrition indicators among the Provinces and in the Districts. The food and nutrition security indicators show that about 48.7 and 22.1% of the rural and urban populations, respectively, are

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**2.3 Prospects**

*Food and Nutrition Security in East Africa (Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan): Status…*

still food and nutrition insecure [10]. The poor rural households can typically be described to be living in crowded homes, relying on low income agriculture and poorly paid casual labour. They farm small plots of less than 0.5 hectares on steep slopes of infertile soils. Most of the children in the rural household are stunted and come from lowly educated or illiterate households. In rural Rwanda's poorest District of Nyamagabe, 73% of the population lives below the international poverty line of US\$1.90/day. The Gini coefficient for the country was 0.45 and 0.49 in

In part due to low agricultural productivity, over a third of the Rwandan population normally experiences food insecurity and under-nutrition, despite Rwanda's impressive economic growth. Nationally, 38% of children under-5 years are stunted and 2% suffer from acute malnutrition. Stunting in children increases with the child's age up until 23 months and rises from 18% in children of 6–8 months of age and peaks at 49% in children who are 18–23 months old. The nutritional status of children varies by Province, with stunting being highest in the Western Province at 45% but is lowest in the city of Kigali at 23%. Rural children have a 41% stunting rate compared to 24% in urban children. A mother's level of education and wealth quartile have been shown to vary inversely with the prevalence of stunting; the prevalence of stunting is lowest in children in poor households at 21% but is higher in children living in the poorest households at 49%. The prevalence of stunting is lowest in children whose mothers have a secondary education or higher (19%) but is

higher in those children whose mothers' have no education (47%) [7].

By the age of 19, about 21% of adolescent girls had begun childbearing in Rwanda in 2014–2015, which was a slight increase from 20% in 2010 and this seems to contribute to malnutrition in children born to such young mothers [7, 12]. Adolescent girls who are likely to be malnourished run the risk of a having a low birth-weight baby, who will likely become malnourished, and, be at increased risk of illness and death than babies born to older mothers. It has also been established that the risk of stunting is 33% higher among first-born children of girls under 18 years of age in Sub-Saharan Africa, such that early motherhood appears to be a key driver of malnutrition [13]. Rwanda similar to other rising economies is also experiencing the double burden of malnutrition, with 21% of women and 8% of children under-5 years suffering from overweight and obesity [7]. Eighty percent of all households are food secure, with 4% considered marginally food secure and 0.5–0.6% severely food insecure. In the livelihood zones of Western Congo Nile Crest Tea Zone, Lake Kivu Coffee Zone and the Northern Highland Beans and Wheat Zone, the poverty indices are 49, 37 and 32%, respectively [5]. Therefore the level of food insecurity is particularly high in the western and northern parts of the country. Among Provinces, Western Province has over 35% of its households considered as food insecure. Fourty-two percent of all severely food-insecure households in Rwanda are found in the Western Province, despite having 22% of the country's households. The National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda avers that Rutsiro, Nyamagabe, Nyabihu, Nyaruguru, Rusizi Karongi and Nyamasheke Districts have 57%, 42%, 39%, 37%, 36%, 35%, and 35% households that are classified as food insecure, respectively [14]. Under-nutrition, especially stunting in children, is attributed not only to food insecurity and poverty, but also to inadequate feeding, particularly poor complementary feeding practices. Estimates show that only 19% of Rwandan children of 6–23 months age receive a minimum acceptable diet [7].

Rwanda is faced with the challenge of an increasing population, which in turn impacts negatively on the per capita food production, availability and consumption.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95037*

2002/2003 and 2010/2011 FY, respectively [11].

#### *Food and Nutrition Security in East Africa (Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan): Status… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95037*

still food and nutrition insecure [10]. The poor rural households can typically be described to be living in crowded homes, relying on low income agriculture and poorly paid casual labour. They farm small plots of less than 0.5 hectares on steep slopes of infertile soils. Most of the children in the rural household are stunted and come from lowly educated or illiterate households. In rural Rwanda's poorest District of Nyamagabe, 73% of the population lives below the international poverty line of US\$1.90/day. The Gini coefficient for the country was 0.45 and 0.49 in 2002/2003 and 2010/2011 FY, respectively [11].

In part due to low agricultural productivity, over a third of the Rwandan population normally experiences food insecurity and under-nutrition, despite Rwanda's impressive economic growth. Nationally, 38% of children under-5 years are stunted and 2% suffer from acute malnutrition. Stunting in children increases with the child's age up until 23 months and rises from 18% in children of 6–8 months of age and peaks at 49% in children who are 18–23 months old. The nutritional status of children varies by Province, with stunting being highest in the Western Province at 45% but is lowest in the city of Kigali at 23%. Rural children have a 41% stunting rate compared to 24% in urban children. A mother's level of education and wealth quartile have been shown to vary inversely with the prevalence of stunting; the prevalence of stunting is lowest in children in poor households at 21% but is higher in children living in the poorest households at 49%. The prevalence of stunting is lowest in children whose mothers have a secondary education or higher (19%) but is higher in those children whose mothers' have no education (47%) [7].

By the age of 19, about 21% of adolescent girls had begun childbearing in Rwanda in 2014–2015, which was a slight increase from 20% in 2010 and this seems to contribute to malnutrition in children born to such young mothers [7, 12]. Adolescent girls who are likely to be malnourished run the risk of a having a low birth-weight baby, who will likely become malnourished, and, be at increased risk of illness and death than babies born to older mothers. It has also been established that the risk of stunting is 33% higher among first-born children of girls under 18 years of age in Sub-Saharan Africa, such that early motherhood appears to be a key driver of malnutrition [13]. Rwanda similar to other rising economies is also experiencing the double burden of malnutrition, with 21% of women and 8% of children under-5 years suffering from overweight and obesity [7]. Eighty percent of all households are food secure, with 4% considered marginally food secure and 0.5–0.6% severely food insecure. In the livelihood zones of Western Congo Nile Crest Tea Zone, Lake Kivu Coffee Zone and the Northern Highland Beans and Wheat Zone, the poverty indices are 49, 37 and 32%, respectively [5]. Therefore the level of food insecurity is particularly high in the western and northern parts of the country. Among Provinces, Western Province has over 35% of its households considered as food insecure. Fourty-two percent of all severely food-insecure households in Rwanda are found in the Western Province, despite having 22% of the country's households. The National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda avers that Rutsiro, Nyamagabe, Nyabihu, Nyaruguru, Rusizi Karongi and Nyamasheke Districts have 57%, 42%, 39%, 37%, 36%, 35%, and 35% households that are classified as food insecure, respectively [14]. Under-nutrition, especially stunting in children, is attributed not only to food insecurity and poverty, but also to inadequate feeding, particularly poor complementary feeding practices. Estimates show that only 19% of Rwandan children of 6–23 months age receive a minimum acceptable diet [7].

#### **2.3 Prospects**

Rwanda is faced with the challenge of an increasing population, which in turn impacts negatively on the per capita food production, availability and consumption.

*Food Security in Africa*

**2.1 Economy, agriculture and social development**

Rwanda with a population of about 12 million people experienced an economic growth rate of about 8% for the decade 2000–2010 [1]. The political stability and impressive economic growth that the country has experienced since the end of the civil war, has encouraged growth in the country's population. Food production also continues to benefit from both the stable and growing economy and population increase, especially of skilled labour. However, the rapid growth rate in the human population is undesirable, especially for the rural, agrarian and poor households, who also tend to bear a proportionately higher number of children than their urban counterparts. Rwanda embarked on Vision 2020 immediately from 1997 as it aimed at transforming itself into a middle income country by 2020 based on a knowledge-based economy and service-oriented sectoral growth [2]. Clearly defined, "Vision 2020," seeks to transform the country from a low-income, agriculture-based economy to a knowledge-based, service-oriented economy with middle-income country status by 2020. The goal aims to achieve rapid development sustained by the high economic growth, leading to poverty reduction and reduced inequality. From 2001 to 2015, the growth in real GDP averaged about 8% per annum [3]. Substantial improvements in living standards, a two-thirds drop in child mortality and near universal primary school enrollment are the result of stability, good economic planning and strong economic growth [4]. Despite the impressive achievements, Rwanda is a small, land-locked country in Sub-Saharan Africa that is part of the EAC, but can also pass for a country in Central Africa. It has the highest population density in Sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the poorest countries in the World, with about 47% of its population living on less than US \$1.25/day [5]. Agriculture accounts for 29.5% of GDP, 45.9% of employment, 63% of foreign exchange earnings, and meets about 90% of the country's food needs [5]. The majority of Rwandan farmers practice subsistence farming on small, hilly plots that are characterized by very low productivity. Up to half of the country's arable land is severely degraded, due to overuse and soil erosion, and, has low soil fertility. The country's agriculture relies on the application of insignificant amounts of pesticides, fertilizers and improved seeds [5]. Despite the above, Rwanda ranks the 123rd out of 157 countries in progress to meet the SDGs [6]. According to the most recent Rwanda Demographic Household Survey of 2015, the infant mortality rate is 32 per 1000 live births, with an under-5 mortality rate of 50 infants per 1000 live

The country launched the Crop Intensification Programme and Policy in 2007 in its quest for increasing food production, leading to improved output of beans, potatoes and cassava [8]. The Maputo Declaration of 2003 [9], in which African countries were advised to spend a minimum of 10% of their GDP on agriculture and food production, led Rwanda to adopt the Crop Intensification Programme, with the above results. Although it did not meet the 10% requirement, all indications are

Despite the impressive achievement and commitment from the Government of Rwanda (GoR), food and nutrition insecurity still lingers in the general population. There are differences between the various poverty and nutrition indicators among the Provinces and in the Districts. The food and nutrition security indicators show that about 48.7 and 22.1% of the rural and urban populations, respectively, are

**2. RWANDA**

**76**

births [7].

that it is on its way to achieve it.

**2.2 Food and nutrition security**

The increasing population requires land to build homes on, while road and rail infrastructure, industries, institutions and other social amenities also require land. The fixed amount of land available for these competing needs means that the arable land sizes will keep reducing and the chances of hunger, malnutrition and under-nourishment may increase due to reduced food production. Rwanda's "Feed the Future" Multi-Year Strategy identified market linkages, infrastructure, nutrition, innovation, and policy as focal points for support and intervention, making it multi-sectoral in order to make the strategy effective. Rwanda engaged development partners in order to revise the national food and nutrition policy and linked it with its 2013–2018 strategic plan, and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme [15]. This approach should bear fruit in a few years ahead. Climate variability has impacted on the country's agriculture, similar to the situation in the other member states of the EAC, with the potential for a rise in food and nutrition insecurity, both in the short and long-term. But the proportion of the food and nutrition insecure population in Rwanda will still be lower than in fooddeficient countries like Burundi and Kenya.
