Rwanda and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday, October 31, launched "Kungahara” a new initiative combining 14 projects, worth 11 million euros in a bid to tackle food insecurity in the country.

The initiative, officials said, comes on the back of higher consumer price indices with about 20.6 percent of Rwandan households remaining food insecure.

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Ambassador of EU to Rwanda Belén Calvo Uyarra, flanked by several government officials presided over the signing ceremony in Kigali.

Speaking shortly after the signing ceremony, Uyarra said that the project will, among others, promote sustainable food production, inclusive agricultural value chains and targeted interventions in vulnerable communities.

"Today, our gathering serves two key objectives. The first is the official launch of the 14 projects, marking the beginning of our collective efforts to combat food insecurity and promote environmentally sustainable agricultural value chains.”

"This launch means our commitment to enhancing the lives of Rwandans, ensuring access to nutritious food, and boosting local food production.”

This initiative, she explained, was born out of a shared commitment to address the global food crisis and its devastating impact on millions of lives.

The EU diplomat pointed out that it is important to recognize the pressing challenges particularly the global food crisis which is worsened by prolonged food crises as well as new shocks that continue to affect millions of lives.

"In 2023, our world is facing extraordinary challenges, and one of the most pressing is the global food crisis. Record levels of acute food insecurity persist in 48 countries, affecting the lives of 238 million people.”

"This crisis is exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine crisis which continues to impact food prices and global food value chains.”

According to Uyarra, the initiative is expected to benefit over 20 districts, 211,000 households over the next three to four years.

"The initiative projects various beneficiaries including women headed households, individuals with disabilities, children, pregnant and lactating women, and local committees committed to eliminating malnutrition,” she said at the launch.

Rwanda has seen a significant improvement in its food security status, and according to Olivier Kamana, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, the EU has been one of Rwanda’s biggest partners in the agriculture sector, particularly through budget support projects and technical assistance.

"We want to see the project contributing to the reduction of levels of food and security in respective regions promoting environmentally sustainable culture value chains, and ensuring access to foods for all.

Food security is still a very critical concern for the livelihood and development of the Rwandan population and farmers, according to Kamana.

For instance, he said, at least 18 percent of Rwandan households experience moderate food insecurity, and 1 percent face severe food insecurity.

"The overall objective of this program is to contribute to sustainable transformation in Rwanda by fostering Rwanda&039;s agricultural transition to social and environmental inclusive food systems and ensuring Rwanda's environmental and climate sustainability. "

Kamana told The New Times that the initiative comes to complement the existing initiatives aiming to improve agriculture development by enhancing collaboration between local and international NGOs and local administrative entities.

"As you may be aware, the Russia and Ukraine crisis will have a significant negative effect on agricultural productivity and production, and this is consequently expected to affect the food and nutrition security globally.”

"There is no doubt that this initiative is part of the solution to revamp this situation.”

Kamana said that 18 percent of Rwandan households are experiencing moderate food insecurity and that 1 percent is facing severe food insecurity.

Moreover, he said, approximately 29 percent of households rely on the market for food spending while over 65 percen spend their income on the food purchases.

At province level, he said, the western province has been considered as the most food insecure with 35 percent of households in food insecurity status, while the eastern province has low level of food insecurity.

The stunting rate for under 5 years old children has also remained high with a national average of 32. 4 percent.

"I would like to make a call for strong collaboration and stakeholders’ engagement. We encourage a strong collaboration of international and local NGOs and districts and the engagement of our farmers who are the first beneficiaries of the project.”

It remains crucial, and very necessary to have regular consultations with beneficiaries in order to know what, how, when and where they need the support, he added.