Free Farmers from Poverty & Educate their Children

On August 2^nd we officially launched the joint International Seed Federation (ISF) - Fair Planet Seed Resilience project in Rwanda. The inauguration ceremony took place in the Rwanda–Israel Horticulture Center of Excellence (HCoE) near Kigali. We sowed seeds of tomato, sweet pepper and cabbage from 5 international seed companies - Enza Zaden, Sakata, Indo-American, Hazera and Rijk Zwaan – as well as crops from several local companies including OP varieties in the nursery, and onion and carrot seeds in the field.

Amongst guests were HE Ambassador Dr. Ron Adam, Israel’s Ambassador to Rwanda and his team, Mr. Michael Keller, Secretary General of ISF, Mr. Santosh Attavar, VP of ISF, Ms. Yolanda Huerta, Legal Counsel of UPOV, Mr. Daniel Rwebigo, Division Manager for seeds and fertilizers of RAB and Dr Assinapol Ndereyimana, Horticulture program coordinator of RAB. Beyond the actual planting, we held a small ceremony and cut a ribbon in the nursery.

Building on the successful cross-sectorial approach developed and proven by Fair Planet in Ethiopia, the Seed Resilience Project is being adapted to the particular needs of the local Rwandan farmers. The project will focus on the development of the three food & nutrition pillars: Vitamins (vegetables), Proteins (pulses) and Carbs (potatoes and cereals), and is designed to help 84,000 farmers increase their yield and income, thus contributing to the establishment of local sustainable and more resilient food systems in Rwanda.

Links:

• Harnessing quality seeds for improving food security in Rwanda

Fair Planet has launched its latest project – a joint venture in Rwanda that brings together the International Seed Federation (ISF), several global seed companies, and local partners including the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture.

Earlier this year, Fair Planet’s President and CEO, Drs. Shoshan Haran and Alon Haberfeld, visited Rwanda together with Mr. Michael Keller, Secretary General of the ISF, to meet with local parties in the country’s two most important agricultural regions. The team also met with the management of the Horticulture Center of Excellence situated near the city of Kigali, where the first variety trials and farmers’ training will take place.

The team visited the Gisenyi region in northern Rwanda and Kibuye in the west, meeting with farmers, agro-commerce dealers and produce sellers, to identify needs and bottle necks in the supply chain of vegetables. These potential partners included:

1. The National Seed Association of Rwanda (NSAR)
2. Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA)
3. FAO Rwanda– the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
4. Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
5. AGRA - Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
6. Gardens for Health International
7. One Acre Fund

Formalizing the relationship between Fair Planet and the International Seed Federation in Rwanda, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the team in the presence of the esteemed Rwandan scientist and Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Gérardine Mukeshimana, whose office fully supports the project.

Fair Planet – seeding a better future for Africa!!!

Links:

• Seed World Magazine interview with Shoshan Haran
• Article by Alex Martin