HarvestPlus supported the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) to breed, test, and release varieties of iron beans developed through our partnership with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Beans are the predominant staple food in Rwanda. 
We worked with private farmers, cooperatives, and non-governmental partners to produce and multiply certified seed of released varieties for delivery to farmers. A payback system ensures that poor farmers receive free seed, which they repay in kind upon harvest.
In partnership with public and non-governmental organizations, we trained farming households in crop management, nutrition, postharvest handling, and marketing.
We also worked to facilitate private sector engagement in the value chain for iron beans, which is essential for long term sustainability of the bean seed distribution, and to strengthen markets for biofortified crops.
Public awareness campaigns leverage the power of mass media and local icons, including music stars, to educate Rwandans on micronutrient deficiencies and the benefits of iron beans.
Our advocacy strengthened national ownership of biofortification through effective integration into national nutrition and agricultural policies.
“Before, when I was growing the indigenous variety, I could hardly harvest 1 ton, but now I harvest 3 tons of iron-rich beans from the same 2 hectares of land.”— Shiragahinda Augustin, Farmer from Northern Province
Country Contacts
| Jean Pierre Mbagurire c/o CIAT B.P. 1269, Kacyiru, Kigali Phone: +250 784 057 448 Email: j.mbagurire@cgiar.org |
Partners
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