Blog Building Resilience: Investment Blueprints for Rwanda’s Smallholder Farmers and Value Chains

Agricultural risk management (ARM) is crucial for smallholder farmers who bear some of the greatest impacts of climate risks but often lack the tools and resources to protect their livelihoods. Recognizing this, the CGIAR Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF) led the Clim-ARM project - funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) - has developed an innovative framework to support farmers. This collaborative and data-driven approach aims to transform how agricultural risks are managed in Rwanda, offering new opportunities for public and private sector stakeholders to engage in high-impact investments.  

At the core of this initiative is the creation of investment blueprints tailored to the unique needs of different regions in Rwanda. Developed through extensive workshops across the country, these blueprints prioritize ARM solutions that enhance rural livelihoods and value chains, ensuring that the small-scale producers that sustain the country's food production are equipped to manage risks and increase productivity.

From August to October 2022, ImpactSF, the Alliance's Climate Action research team, MINAGRI and other partners conducted five regional workshops across Rwanda. These workshops gathered over 180 participants from government bodies, private companies, farmer organizations and research institutions to map and characterize agricultural value chains and prioritize the risks faced by different regions.  

Data collected during these workshops shed light on climate risks affecting various crops and identified ARM tools and practices that could mitigate these risks. The result was a comprehensive set of investment blueprints that provide a roadmap for scaling ARM solutions, offering clear intervention pathways for private-sector-led initiatives to enhance resilience in smallholder farming.  

The participation of local stakeholders in the co-creation of these blueprints is a critical feature of Clim-ARM’s approach. By working closely with ministries, public and private institutions, provincial development programs, researchers, NGOs, farmer cooperatives and the agriculture and social development units of all districts, the solutions identified are not only evidence based, but also context-specific, addressing the diverse needs of Rwanda’s agricultural regions.  

The data gathered through the regional workshops is not only informing immediate ARM interventions, but is also integrated into the Clim-ARM data portal - an interactive platform designed to provide decision-makers with the information they need to assess and implement agricultural risk management strategies. This portal serves as a vital resource for public and private stakeholders seeking to invest in agricultural resilience, offering detailed insights into risks and solutions at both the regional and national levels.  

In June 2023, a technical working group met to review the results of the analyses, refine the ARM solutions and validate the investment blueprints. This collaborative effort was essential to ensure that the proposed ARM solutions were aligned with the real needs on the ground, setting the stage for future high-impact investments.  

As the outputs and recommendations of the Clim-ARM project move towards full-scale implementation, a half-day Report Validation Roundtable was held on October 4, 2024 in Kigali. This event - organized in partnership with MINAGRI - brought together experts to review the investment blueprints and validate the data in the Clim-ARM portal. The objectives of this roundtable were:  

• Present the Clim-ARM project report to stakeholders
• Review and gather feedback on the investment blueprints
• Ensure the Clim-ARM data portal meets the needs of decision-makers and investors

The validated report will serve as a reference for agricultural risk management in Rwanda, coupled with a user-friendly data portal that will empower stakeholders to make informed investment decisions.  

“This report outlines compelling investment opportunities—opportunities not just to earn financial returns, but to make a lasting impact on the future of Rwanda’s agricultural production. By embracing these opportunities, we can help shape a future where Rwanda’s agricultural sector thrives in the face of adversity, building a more resilient and prosperous country for generations to come. Now is the time to act: together, we can turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s triumphs”

- Pete Wamicwe, ImpactSF Investment Specialist