New report: “Farming for Impact”
Earlier this week, Concern Worldwide launched new research was in the to a packed audience in the UK parliament. The report is called “Farming for Impact: A Case Study of Smallholder Agriculture in Rwanda.” It shows how Concern and the Rwandan government have helped to reduce hunger in the country.
Parliament listens
We welcomed Malcolm Bruce MP, and Jeremy Lefroy MP, chair and member of the International Development Select Committee, to speak at the launch of our report.
Jeremy Lefroy spoke passionately of his experience in working with smallholder farmers in Africa. He stated that these farmers are key to food security, employment and democracy in many developing countries.
Reducing hunger
Lord Cameron of Dillington, himself a farmer, attended the event on behalf of the All-party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food for Development. Supporting poor farmers, he said, can help reduce poverty and hunger, improve health and education, prevent deforestation and empower women.
Concern has been calling for the UK to invest in aid to agriculture and the momentum of this campaign is building.
Rwandan case study
The report explores how Concern and the Rwandan government have helped to reduce hunger in the country. Rwanda has spent 10% of its governmental budget supporting farmers. As a result, the country is producing much more food, and has shielded itself from the high food prices seen in east Africa. Levels of malnutrition in the country have also been reduced.
Evidence of impact
The report explores the impact of Concern’s programme in Rwanda. Farmers participating in the programme reported that they were growing up to three times more, and eating more and better food.
The programme also helped participants to create wealth and to save, with some moving from working as hired labourers to employing people themselves. Farmers also reported that through participating they made friends, and overcame fear and loneliness which have been prevalent amongst many of those worst affected by the terrible genocide in 1994.
Read the report
Photos from the launch
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