🌱 What We Do & Our Field Initiatives
Empowering Farmers Through Sustainable Projects
Discover our active field interventions, completed transformation milestones, and upcoming strategic programmes designed to modernize agriculture, restore ecosystems, and improve rural livelihoods.
Ongoing Project
1/1/2025- 31/12/2028
Sector: Agriculture and Food Security Focus Area: Cassava Value Chain Optimization, Climate Resilience, Food Security, Sustainable Livelihoods and Farmer Organization Strengthening.
SCORE RWANDA PROJECT: Strengthening Smallholder Farmers’ Resilience to Crises for Improved Food Security and Livelihoods in Rwanda (SCORE Rwanda)
The SCORE Rwanda Project is a four-year initiative funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and supervised by IFAD, with implementation led by INGABO Farmers’ Association. The project aims to strengthen the resilience, productivity and livelihoods of smallholder farmers by improving cassava production, promoting climate-smart agriculture, strengthening farmer organizations, expanding access to quality planting materials and technologies, and improving market opportunities.
Location: The project is implemented across 10 Districts in three provinces of Rwanda: • Southern Province: Kamonyi, Gisagara, Nyanza, Ruhango and Muhanga • Western Province: Rusizi and Nyamasheke • Eastern Province: Bugesera, Gatsibo and Kayonza
Partners: • Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) – Funder • International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – Supervising institution • INGABO Farmers’ Association – Implementing organization • Farmer cooperatives and other public and private sector actors involved in the cassava value chain.
Ongoing Project
October 2023- October 2026 ( 3 Years)
2. Sector of Intervention: Agriculture and Food Security 3. Focus Area: Cassava Value Chain Optimization
GWIZA MUHINZI PROJECT: Enhancing Cassava Production and Diversified Utilization for Food and Incomes in Rwanda (Gwiza Muhinzi)
Executive Summary: Gwiza Muhinzi is a three-year European Union-funded project implemented by INGABO Farmers’ Association in partnership with IITA to strengthen Rwanda’s cassava value chain across 10 districts. The project focuses on increasing cassava productivity through access to quality planting materials and good agricultural practices, while promoting improved post-harvest management, value addition, and diversified utilization of cassava roots and peels. It also strengthens market linkages, private-sector participation, and coordination among cassava value-chain actors to contribute to improved food security, farmer incomes, employment, and sustainable development of the cassava subsector.
Key Objectives
1. Increase cassava productivity
The project promotes access to quality seed of improved cassava varieties and the adoption of good agricultural practices through farmer field schools, demonstration plots, farmer training, field days, extension support, and linkages between certified seed entrepreneurs and farmer cooperatives.
2. Promote value addition and diversified utilization
The project pilots and promotes improved post-harvest handling and storage technologies and value-added cassava products, including High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) and High-Quality Cassava Peel (HQCP). These innovations are intended to create additional market and income opportunities for farmers, processors, women, and youth.
3. Strengthen the enabling environment
The project supports collaboration and coordination among cassava value-chain actors through the Rwanda Cassava Platform (RCP) and district-level platforms. These platforms facilitate knowledge sharing, stakeholder dialogue, identification of value-chain challenges, and collective action to support the development of Rwanda’s cassava subsector.
Location: The project is implemented across 10 Districts in three provinces of Rwanda: • Southern Province: Kamonyi, Gisagara, Nyanza, Ruhango and Muhanga • Western Province: Rusizi and Nyamasheke • Eastern Province: Bugesera, Gatsibo and Kayonza
Partners: 7. Funder: European Union (EU) 8. Implementing Partners: INGABO Farmers’ Association, as the lead implementing partner, in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Completed Project
2020- 2025
Agriculture, Agricultural Biotechnology, Cassava Improvement, Food and Nutrition Security, Seed Systems and Farmer Capacity Building The project focused on developing and promoting improved cassava varieties with resistance to major viral diseases, particularly Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD), while strengthening access to quality planting materials and sustainable cassava seed systems.
VIRCA Project — Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa
Executive Summary
VIRCA — Virus Resistant Cassava for Africa is a collaborative agricultural research and biotechnology programme designed to develop and promote improved cassava varieties resistant to major viral diseases, particularly Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD). The programme combines crop improvement, biotechnology, field evaluation, biosafety and regulatory processes, seed-system development and farmer capacity building to improve cassava productivity, food and nutrition security, and farmer livelihoods.
In Rwanda, VIRCA has supported the evaluation of improved cassava varieties, capacity building for scientists and technical teams, regulatory and variety registration processes, and the development of sustainable systems for multiplying and distributing quality cassava planting materials.
Location: Location & Target Districts Regional scope: East Africa, with activities reported in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Rwanda: The project was implemented in collaboration with Rwanda’s national agricultural research system, including the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB).Specific target Districts in Rwanda are: Muhanga Kamonyi Ruhango Nyanza Gisagara Bugesera Rwamagana Ngoma Kayonza
Partners: Implementation Partners & Donors Key partners and institutions: • Donald Danforth Plant Science Center • Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) • Uganda National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) • Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) • National agricultural research systems in participating African countries • Cassava Seed Entrepreneurs (CSEs) • Other implementation and deployment partners Donor support: The project received support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during earlier implementation phases. The Danforth Center reports that its USAID funding for VIRCA was terminated effective 25 February 2025.
Completed Project
2019–2025
Sector/Focus AreaAgriculture and Rural Development, Farmers’ Organizations Strengthening, Value Chain Development, Market Access, Policy Advocacy, Institutional Capacity Building, Climate Resilience, Youth and Gender Inclusion
Farmers’ Organizations for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (FO4ACP)
Executive Summary
The Farmers’ Organizations for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (FO4ACP) programme was a major initiative designed to strengthen farmers’ organizations and improve the economic and social wellbeing of smallholder and family farmers across ACP countries. Implemented from 2019 to 2025, the programme supported farmers’ organizations to deliver stronger economic and technical services, improve market and financial access, engage effectively in policy dialogue, and strengthen institutional governance and accountability.
Through its regional and national partners, FO4ACP promoted more inclusive and resilient agricultural value chains while supporting innovation, farmer-led enterprises, knowledge sharing, climate resilience, and the meaningful participation of youth and women in agriculture.
Location: Muhanga, Kamonyi, Ruhango, Nyanza, Gisagara, Rusizi, Nyamasheke, Bugesera, Kayonza, Gatsibo
Partners: Implementation Partners & Donors Lead/Supervising Institution: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Key Implementation Partners: Regional farmers’ organizations, AgriCord, FAO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, national and local farmers’ organizations, and other agricultural development partners. Funding: • European Union • IFAD co-financing
Completed Project
2021 - 2023
Digital Agriculture & Seed Multiplication
E-Cassava: Digital Seed Certification & Disease Surveillance
Pioneered digital mobile tools for inspecting cassava multiplication fields, monitoring CBSD viral diseases, and certifying clean, pest-free planting materials.
Location: Southern Province & Kigali
Partners: IITA, RAB, MINAGRI, Ingabo Farmers Association
Future / Pipeline
2026 - 2029
Youth Empowerment & Green Value Addition
Women & Youth Agri-Preneurship Green Accelerator
Upcoming flagship initiative to incubate 120 youth-led agribusiness enterprises specializing in solar cassava drying, fortified flour bakery products, and digital retail marketing.
Location: Muhanga, Ruhango, Kamonyi & Nyanza
Partners: Agriterra, PAFO, Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness (RYAF)
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