Food security, stunting, and sustainable irrigated agriculture - Rwanda case study

August 29,2018

Aimee Mpambara

RWANDA HAS MADE EXCELLENT PROGRESS ON <5 MORTALITY AND ACUTE

MALNUTRITION (WASTING), BUT PROGRESS ON STUNTING REMAINS MODEST

48,3

8,3

19,5

51,1

4,7

17,5

44,2

2,8

11,4

37,9

2,2

9,3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Stunting Wasting Underweight

Pre

vale

nce

(%

)

2000 2005 2010 2014-2015

2

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

NNMR IMR U5MR

Per

1,0

00

live

bir

ths

2000 2005 2010 2014-2015

Source: Rwanda Nutrition Situation Analysis, World Bank

Irrigation in Rwanda

• 589,711 ha of irrigation potential

• 48,508 ha irrigated (7.5 percent of potential)

• Cost of irrigation has been the main constraint to irrigation development

Challenges to irrigation development in Rwanda

• High cost of irrigation

• Small and fragmented private lands

• Inadequate capacity within public and private sector

• Lack of irrigation culture within communities

• Undeveloped and inefficient marketing chains

• Low performance of existing irrigation infrastructures

• Water inefficiency in irrigation systems

Proposed solutions to the challenges

• Small scale irrigation supported by government

• Land consolidation

• Capacity building for farmers groups, private sector and extension agents

• Improvement of existing irrigation infrastructures for better water efficiency

Nutrition in irrigation projects

• Peer learning : nutrition messaging and education provided in the self help groups

• Access to nutritious food : kitchen gardens, horticulture development, fish farming in dams,

• Nutrition through increased income : horticulture and market access

Inputs/Interventions

Outcomes

Impact

Guiding Principles

Enhance use of data for geographic targeting and tracking beneficiaries Focus on high stunting districts and on vulnerable and poor households Leverage successful programs (VUP, CHW, PBF) Learning by doing approach

HNP PROJECT:

Community and household level prevention & management

Effective delivery of high impact health & nutrition interventions by health facilities

Innovations and knowledge sharing

SP PROJECT:

Expansion of cash transfers

Gender and child sensitive public works to vulnerable HHs

Targeted behavior change and ECD interventions

Increased coverage of health and nutrition interventions Improved coverage and quality of child caring, feeding and hygiene practices Enhanced access to food through cash transfers and other nutrition-sensitive interventions

and policy reforms to increase agricultural productivity

Reduced Stunting

THEORY OF CHANGE FOR AN INTEGRATED PROGRAM

AGRICULTURE PROJECTS:

Support improvements in household food security and dietary diversity through biofortification, labor saving technologies, and promotion of micro-nutrient enriched foods

Explore possibility of piloting the food security and nutrition component in districts to be targeted through HNP operation

WATER AMD SANITATION:

Inform BCC interventions to be included in SP and HNP projects

Support key stakeholders to mobilize MININFRA for water supply investments

Agriculture contribution to the Stunting Reduction Program

• Increase the production of nutritious food

• - Biofortification

• - Diversification of agriculture production

• - Kitchen gardens

• - Small livestock (also inputs to agriculture) and fish farming (in dams)

• Capacity building, peer learning about improved nutrition

• - Use of existing agriculture extension models and self help groups

• - Women targeted interventions

Access Pathway

Increase marketing of nutritious food:

• - Support marketing of biofortified food (iron rich beans, vit A rich potatoes)

• - Support marketing of other diversified food: vegetables, animal source protein

• Other income generating activities

• - Linking cooperatives to markets to increase farmers incomes

Income Pathway

Key considerations

• Collaboration with other sectors is key

• Bring farmers on board early enough

• Listen to farmers, understand them, and adapt