President Paul Kagame of Rwanda writes in the Ugandan newspaper the Independent that increased support for all smallholder farmers, especially those practising agroforestry, will improve their livelihoods.

The world’s half a billion smallholder farms account for 60% of global agricultural production and provide up to 80% of the food supply in developing countries writes Kagame. Smallholder farms account for up to 80% of farmland in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

He encourages other countries to follow Rwanda’s lead in promoting climate-smart agriculture. In Rwanda, the efforts of farmers are supported by a “wider policy and investment framework that seeks to ensure that all farmers have access to improved seeds and technical know-how”.

He concludes that all better agricultural practices, when combined with sustainable practises such as agroforestry, will lead to increased productivity and climate resilience.

Read president Kagame’s full article.

contributors: Bett Ayrton