CATALIST Project Overview

CATALISTCatalyze Accelerated Agricultural Intensification

for Social and Environmental Stability

Project Summary

t Cover photo: Léonard Rwasa, a bean farmer, explaining ISFM techniques to his peers in Ngozi, Burundi.u COOCENKI’s warehouse for selling and buying agricultural provisions in Butembo, North Kivu, DRC.

Table of ContentsExecutive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Project Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Objective Group 1: Intensive Production Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Objective Group 2: Cluster and Value Chain Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Objective Group 3: Improved Socio-Economic and Political Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Cross-Cutting Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Project Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Project Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Annexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Annex 1. Glossary of Key Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Annex 2. Acronyms & Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

This publication is an adaptation of the CATALIST final report, submitted in March 2012.

Executive Summary In slightly more than five years, the IFDC project Catalyze Accelerated Agricultural intensification for Social and Environmental Stability (CATALIST) and its governmental and non-governmental partners have accomplished a great deal in Central Africa’s Great Lakes Region (CAGLR) . More than 714,000 farmers and agricultural value chain actors have been exposed to agricultural intensification and other technologies and techniques . The area under sustainable production systems is now estimated at 650,000 hectares (ha) .

At the beginning of the project, all actions were focused on triggering agricultural intensification. CATALIST trained technicians and farmers in integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) and other best practices, while demonstration sites showed the importance of using quality fertilizers and improved seeds and advocated better land management to increase agricultural production. ISFM efforts were expanded to include agroforestry, and after two years, the results became visible. Once agricultural production and crop yields rose, CATALIST intensified its efforts in value chain development and accelerated the organization of agribusiness clusters.

The results obtained in the region would not have been possible without the support of the governments of the focus countries. CATALIST’s methods and information were disseminated broadly due to the collaboration with the governments and over 1,500 public and private partners.

Through its Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), the Government of Rwanda (GoR) made the decision that support for intensification would lead to positive and sustainable changes in the agricultural sector. CATALIST benefited from that decision, as well as MINAGRI’s decision to support an ISFM approach as the foundation for sustainable production. To date, increases in fertilizer use in Rwanda correlate with increases in crop yields. Similar effects are also being seen (on a smaller scale to date) in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where interest in agricultural intensification is rapidly increasing.

The agricultural intensification process is accelerating in the region. Agricultural value chains and agribusiness clusters are developing quickly with an increase in production and revenue for the population; as a result, stability in the region is reinforced. What has been triggered needs to grow, spread and become sustainable. To ensure a better future for many more in the CAGLR, IFDC will continue to out-scale the accomplishments of the CATALIST project and work with the national governments to improve and broaden their agricultural development programs. n

“The lack of food security is one of the causes of overall

insecurity. When people have to move across borders to look for food, it is not a good place to be. Through our commitment to make sure people have enough food, we create stability among our populations.”

H.E. Agnes Kalibata Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Rwanda

CATALIST Project Summary

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Highlights and Key Accomplishments nIntensificationu While low by global and even continental standards, annual fertilizer use has increased to about 46,500

metric tons (mt) in the region. Because of CATALIST’s capacity building and technology transfer efforts, sustainable production systems have been adopted on more than 190,000 ha by nearly 218,000 farmers. Fertilizer use by these farmers averages approximately 100 kilograms per hectare per year (kg/ha/yr).

u As a result of CATALIST out-scaling efforts, agricultural intensification goes beyond directly targeted farmers. In Rwanda, CATALIST played a major role in complementing the GoR’s efforts to reach 664,000 households (33 percent of the total number of Rwandan households). These households have adopted ISFM technologies on 649,468 ha to produce a total of 1 million metric tons (in cereal equivalents) of food.

u Adoption of agricultural intensification technologies is more pervasive in Rwanda, but significant changes are occurring in Burundi and the Kivu provinces of the DRC. In Burundi, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) worked closely with the CATALIST staff to gain greater knowledge on fertilizer use and ISFM, and CATALIST provided technical support to MAL’s fertilizer subsidy policy. Private sector interest in fertilizer use by smallholder and large farmers in DRC’s Kivu provinces resulted in private sector importation of 75 mt of fertilizer per season. While this is a very small amount, it represents a 20-fold increase in fertilizer use in the DRC since the start of the project.

u CATALIST supported a number of activities directed at increasing the efficiencies and financial benefits associated with agricultural intensification such as: identification of improved rice varieties that perform well in cooler seasons and have a shorter growing cycle; economic analysis of crop/livestock systems compared with crop-only systems; agronomic benefits of liming on acidic soils; and identification of appropriate forms of intermediate mechanization.

u Based on previous results and more than 1,000 demonstration plots in the region, adoption of the project recommendations resulted in a 25-50 percent decrease in production costs for participating farmers.

u CATALIST introduced innovative technologies such as urea deep placement (UDP) and mechanization techniques that contributed to increased yields and reduced production costs.

nAgribusiness Cluster Developmentu CATALIST introduced the inventory credit system in 10 cooperatives in the three countries, enabling

participating farmers to access credit when they most need it and giving them opportunities to reinvest in their farms in order to continue or increase crop production.

u Small grants totaling €260,000 were given to 29 innovative project proposals in the region’s agricultural sector to stimulate the development of private initiatives.

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u CATALIST provided technical and financial assistance to 54 agricultural clusters. The clusters involve more than 217,000 farmers organized into 406 farmer cooperatives/associations; 490 agro-dealers; 1,399 commodity traders; 237 processors and several micro-finance institutions (MFIs). Nearly half (47 percent) of those involved in cluster development are women.

u Through the haute intensité de la main d’œuvre (labor-intensive work, also known as HIMO) approach, 156 kilometers of rural roads were rehabilitated, providing temporary employment to 43,582 vulnerable people for a total of 1,375,027 man-days of labor. Almost €1.6 million were directly injected into rural, low-income areas through the wages paid to these vulnerable populations over the duration of the project.

u Although a drought in parts of North Kivu hindered the second labor-intensive activity – the establishment of agroforestry plantations – by the end of the project, HIMO laborers had planted tree seedlings on 4,245 ha of agroforestry plots and 371 ha of micro-woodlots (which are located on the poorest soils).

nConducive Policiesu In cooperation with MINAGRI’s Crop Intensification Program (CIP), CATALIST implemented a fertilizer

voucher program, which benefited over 200,000 Rwandan wheat and maize farmers.

u CATALIST efforts to support the GoR in its agro-input market development efforts resulted in two new IFDC projects in Rwanda that will further promote sustainability. The Privatization of Rwanda’s Fertilizer Import and Distribution System (PReFER) project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will support the GoR as it transfers the importation and distribution of fertilizers to the private sector, and an Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) grant is supporting the Rwanda Agro-Dealer Development (RADD) project.

u To improve the access of women to new agricultural technologies, CATALIST provided support to the League of Women Farmers’ Organization of North Kivu (LOFEPACO) in establishing its member training programs. CATALIST also partnered with LOFEPACO to introduce intermediate mechanization in North Kivu.

u The project supported farmers’ organizations that advocated on behalf of the Code Agricole in DRC, which was adopted in December 2011. These new laws for the agricultural sector were negotiated by farmers’ organizations in collaboration with civil society organizations and will improve land ownership and land tenure rights for smallholder farmers. CATALIST facilitated exchange visits between large landholders and the Federation of Agricultural Producers’ Organizations in the DRC (FOPAC) and meetings with the DRC Government in Kinshasa.

u IFDC organized an advocacy and media event in Kinshasa to promote ISFM and fertilizer policies in the DRC. The event targeted key opinion leaders, media and government officials in order to facilitate better agricultural policies across the DRC (although the project’s activities were limited to the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu).

u CATALIST facilitated a visit by top decision-makers of the Burundian MAL to Rwanda’s MINAGRI so that they could learn about the Rwandan crop intensification and fertilizer subsidies.

u The project organized media platforms in Burundi centered on the availability of fertilizers and the involvement of the private sector, which contributed to a better public understanding of the issues surrounding the fertilizer market.

u CATALIST contributed to the promotion of agricultural intensification through technical training to ‘out-scale’ beyond the scope of the project with the ministries of agriculture, other development projects, colleges and research institutes.


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u The project supported the launch of the East African Fertilizer Association (EAFA) and IFDC continues to support the establishment of a fully functioning EAFA that will be a strong regional advocate for agro-input market development (including the promotion of regional procurement and harmonization of regulations) and development of the agricultural sector.

u CATALIST collaborated with other organizations to promote agricultural intensification. CATALIST and the Economic Community of the Great Lakes (CEPGL) launched the ‘Ruzizi without Borders’ program to promote intensified rice production on the Ruzizi Plain, which is shared by all three CATALIST focus countries.

u The project collaborated with USAID’s East Africa’s Competitiveness and Trade Expansion Program (COMPETE) to develop a market information system (MIS) that provides timely information on international and regional fertilizer and crop prices and facilitates additional trade.

u IFDC and CATALIST actively supported Agri-ProFocus, a broadly based group of organizations and businesses seeking to professionalize farm-firm relationships. This initiative is now expanding from Rwanda to Burundi and the DRC.

Project Overviewn BackgroundWithout agricultural intensification, there can be no lasting peace and the environment cannot be protected in CAGLR – the demographic pressure on the region’s natural resources is simply too strong. Food security cannot be achieved when the vast majority of the population lives in rural areas, and must feed five to six people on family plots that average only 0.7 ha. As long as traditional agricultural practices remain dominant, erosion cannot be prevented and non-cultivated areas cannot be adequately protected.

In 2006, the Great Lakes Region had the highest population density in Sub-Saharan Africa, but also the world’s lowest rate of fertilizer use. The average amount of fertilizer used in the CAGLR was 4 kg/ha/yr, while the global average is 110 kg/ha/yr. Combined with the region’s climate and steep terrain (and subsequent erosion), the area suffers from the worst soil nutrient balance in the world. Indeed, almost 60 kg of nutrients are lost on each hectare of farmland per year.

t A farmer with her child works in a wheat field in Gicumi, Rwanda.

“Despite the fact that CATALIST started only a few years

ago, the project seems to deliver measurable results. There are many reports of sizeable impact of intensification and value chain interventions. Farmers report a doubling of yields on the part of their land that they use for intensification. Partner organizations mention large gains in farmer income through warehouse receipts (e.g. allowing farmers to buy a motorcycle) and intensification (allowing farmers to buy additional land, cattle or to open a kiosk).”

– External mid-term review of CATALIST


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n OverviewCATALIST was a five-year regional project implemented by IFDC and numerous partners. The project area encompassed the western side of Central Africa’s Albertine Rift, including the countries of Burundi and Rwanda and the South and North Kivu provinces of the DRC. CATALIST also conducted activities focused on agricultural intensification, market development, regional collaboration and regional trade.

The project began in October 2006 and ended in March 2012 (extended for six months). The project promoted agricultural intensification to help reinforce peace and increase environmental stability in the CAGLR. Funding for CATALIST was provided by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS). Project oversight was provided by the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands in Rwanda.

CATALIST was based on the ideas that increased peace and security in the CAGLR are very dependent upon agricultural intensification, market development and economic growth, and that agricultural intensification is the key condition for environmental management and conservation of the biosphere. Similarly, economic growth and market opportunities are dependent on the adoption of agricultural intensification technologies that promote increased productivity and maintain or improve the natural resource base.

Project activities were focused on sustainable agricultural productivity including increased farmer income, more productive soils, cluster development, input market development and increased regional trade. These activities were enhanced by the project’s HIMO work carried out by temporary day laborers. The HIMO focus was to rehabilitate farm-to-market roads in order to create an enabling environment for market development and agroforestry for erosion control.

CATALIST worked with a large number of partners in an effort to scale-up activities and therefore extend/expand agricultural intensification. The number of direct and indirect beneficiaries of CATALIST’s outreach and out-scaling efforts and agricultural stakeholders who are adopting the project’s best practices is estimated at 650,000 at project-end (and will continue to grow through ongoing diffusion).

p Farmers who have opened an account and have collaborated with an MFI raise their hands in Nyabihu, Rwanda.u A girl helps her family prepare a field using ISFM practices.

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n Goals, Objectives and Expected Outputs

Goals

CATALIST was a regional project focused on agricultural intensification to increase crop productivity and improve the natural resource base. Through the adoption of agricultural intensification technologies, economic growth and market opportunities were created, and therefore led to improved social and environmental stability in the CAGLR.

Objectives

The project objectives were:

1. Improve, validate and adopt an intensive crop production system.

2. Improve agri-business clusters’ and value chains’ functions.

3. Create more conducive socio-economic and political conditions.

The project specifically targeted:

u Agricultural producers, identified by partner organizations (local service providers/proximity operators) within the context of agricultural intensification.

u Vulnerable groups (demobilized combatants, women, youth, repatriates, etc.).

u Private sector stakeholders (non-governmental organizations [NGOs], input suppliers, commodity traders and processing enterprises).

u Research institutes and other interested partners.

u Decentralized administrations, which are in charge of the development of the agricultural sector, livestock and conservation of natural resources.

Expected Outcomes

CATALIST’s project design was driven by the need to achieve significant and measurable results that would have both short-term and long-term impacts on peace and stability in the region. Although the regional context evolved significantly over the last five years and the project’s approach had to be adapted, the expected outputs at the beginning of the project were to:

u Reduce poverty, improve food security and accelerate rural economic development measured in increased revenue for producers’ and increased production of targeted crops.

u Validate and spur the adoption of technical and profitable recommendations on intensive production.

u Spur the adoption of more intensive, sustainable and remunerative production systems.


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u Through demonstrations, training and communications, create an environment in which ISFM is adopted by 225,000 producers on 170,000 ha of improved land.

u Build clusters around value chains.

u Build associations around value chains.

u Develop and professionalize the agro-input sector.

u Make the credit system more accessible and relied upon by the agricultural sector.

u Increase understanding of agricultural intensification among smallholder farmers and other audiences.

u Improve rural (farm-to-market) roads.

u Plant agroforestry plots and micro-woodlots.

u Increase understanding and consideration of the link between agricultural intensification and gender.

u Increase understanding of the constraints on agricultural intensification linked to HIV/AIDS.

u Improve access to market information systems.

u Develop conducive national and regional agricultural and fertilizer policies.

u Increase the volume of imported fertilizer.

u Strengthen collaboration and trade (measured in increased commercial exchanges in the CAGLR).

The expected outputs will be further discussed under three groups of activities: intensive productions systems; agribusiness cluster and value chain development; and improved political and socioeconomic conditions. The project’s accomplishments will also be described following four cross-cutting issues: conflict transformation; capacity building and technology transfer; knowledge management and communications; and gender mainstreaming.

p Harvested bean vines hang to dry on the side of a small warehouse in Butare, Rwanda.

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n ApproachCATALIST organized and developed its programs based on the following strategies:

u Promoting ISFM through support for the adoption of more intensive, profitable and sustainable production systems. ISFM combines organic and inorganic fertilizers with other conservation practices and the use of improved seeds to increase yields while protecting the environment and maintaining the soil resource base.

u Using the Competitive Agricultural Systems and Enterprises (CASE) approach. CASE links farm groups to input and output markets, and develops linkages among the main actors intervening along the commodity value chain.

u Using HIMO to improve rural infrastructure and promote agroforestry. This strategy creates jobs building infrastructure (primarily roads) to facilitate access to remote areas and increase trade. HIMO also implements erosion-control measures to prevent soil loss and facilitates awareness-building and mobilization around these activities.

u Promoting incentive-oriented national and regional agricultural policies.

u Strengthening regional integration mechanisms.

u Contributing to the creation and enabling of national and regional policy environments that promote intensified agricultural production and improved marketing.

u Out-scaling through training of trainers (ToT) and developing partnerships with public and private stakeholders.

u Informing target audiences about HIV/AIDS and gender-related issues.


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Activities Conducted Per Objective GroupObjective Group 1: Intensive Production SystemsCATALIST promoted sustained agricultural intensification and the adoption of new technologies, coupled with increased access to and use of agro-inputs (fertilizers, improved seeds, crop protection products). These objectives were accomplished through the use of ISFM and agroforestry.

n Integrated Soil Fertility ManagementAfrica’s soils are hungry. Soil nutrient depletion and population increases have caused per capita food production to decrease over the past 30 years in Sub-Saharan Africa. Traditionally, African farmers have cleared land, grown crops for a few seasons and then moved on to clear more land. This practice allowed the abandoned soil to regain its fertility as it lay fallow. But constant population growth now forces farmers to continually plant crops on the same land, ‘mining’ the soil’s nutrients. Improved soil fertility is critical in order for smallholder farmers to increase their yields and incomes.

p Suzanne Ndaboroheye, a successful farmer in Kayanza, Burundi, advises women to join a cooperative as she did, to learn about ISFM and enable them to increase their farm productivity.

t A farmer in Bugesera, Rwanda adds composted organic material to his field according to ISFM practices.


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ISFM is the key to increasing agricultural productivity while protecting the environment and maintaining (and even enhancing) the soil resource base. ISFM strategies are based on the combined use of mineral fertilizers and locally available organic amendments (crop residues, compost and green manure) to replenish lost soil nutrients. Organic soil amendments interact with mineral fertilizer, improving both soil quality and the efficiency of fertilizers. In addition, ISFM promotes improved crop management practices, measures to control erosion and leaching and techniques to improve soil organic matter maintenance.

ISFM was pioneered, tested and promoted by IFDC. Dr. Henk Breman, an IFDC principal scientist and chief of party for the CATALIST project until October 2011, played an important role in ISFM’s development and

introduction in the region. Farmers who adopted ISFM technologies have more than doubled their agricultural productivity and increased their farm-level incomes by 20 to 50 percent.

The 2006 analysis of the region’s agricultural sector, as evidenced in the baseline survey report produced by the Consortium to Improve Agricultural-based Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA), was characterized by low productivity (due in large part to limited use of improved agro-inputs). At that time, use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, the use of improved seeds, crop protection products (CPPs) and other agricultural good practices were seen as priorities likely to increase crop production while preserving soils for future generations. Strategies and approaches to make

p Women learn ISFM and other agricultural techniques through hands-on experience in the field (North Kivu, DRC).u Farmers learn ISFM techniques (Nyagatare, Eastern Rwanda).q CATALIST distributes ‘best producer awards’ to farmers who successfully applied ISFM techniques and significantly

increased their yields.

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agro-inputs more widely available, trainings to enable people to use the modern agricultural techniques and support to facilitate access to fertilizers and seeds were put in place to speed up adoption of ISFM practices by smallholder farmers.

IFDC, its development partners and government agencies came together and facilitated the implementation of the CATALIST project, which was seen as a priority to achieve food security in the targeted communities. The major barriers to adoption of ISFM were affordability of agro-inputs, availability of manure and accessibility to improved seeds. Other challenges

were related to a lack of training in the use of ISFM techniques and the willingness of farmers to work hard, since ISFM requires more labor. ISFM was the unifying theme throughout the project and was related to all other activities, such as cluster and value chain development, input market development and advocacy for improved fertilizer and agriculture policies in the region.

Once ISFM creates a market surplus, this surplus should be sold at the best prices and/or processed in some way. While many characterize agriculture in the region as ‘subsistence’ farming, CATALIST was able to prove that subsistence farming was not the best that could be achieved given the prevailing marginal conditions. These results encouraged farmers to participate in the program. CATALIST started with a phase in which trials and technology developments were predominant (2007-2008). Farmer participation picked up momentum in 2009 with the initiation of value chain activities. The adoption of ISFM allowed farmers to move beyond subsistence and to break out of the poverty trap by reinvesting proceeds from their yield surpluses in their agricultural activities. Table 1 shows the increase in farmer participation in CATALIST clusters and the number of farmers in the clusters who adopted ISFM techniques (the use of both organic and inorganic fertilizers was the criteria of being an adopter).


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Table 1. Farmer Cluster Participation and ISFM Adoption by Country and Year

Country 2008 2009 2010 2011

Total Total Total Adopters % Total Adopters %

Rwanda 2,081 76,746 93,350 75,098 80 114,245 97,108 85

Burundi 1,549 22,393 46,610 35,088 75 48,252 38,601 80

DRC 277 16,645 55,973 22,129 40 55,238 35,904 65

Total 3,907 115,784 195,933 132,315 68 217,735 171,613 79

After a solid period of on-farm trials and demonstrations, the project was able to showcase project-affiliated farmers’ significant yield increases in a wide variety of crops. On average, the yields increased, with significant increases in net returns as a consequence. Table 2 gives a summary of what was achieved on demonstration plots. These numbers do not represent a maximum, but a number that farmers can reasonably achieve by adopting ISFM (improved seeds, organic and inorganic fertilizers and good crop protection practices).

Table 2. Summary of Yield Increases by Hectare (ha) Per Harvest

Country CropFarmer practice

Recommended ISFM practice

Increase in net returns due to ISFM

Yield (kg/ha) Yield (kg/ha) $/ha

Rwanda

Potato 8,000 19,500 1,600

Maize 2,200 4,100 700

Wheat 1,400 3,500 700

Burundi

Potato 3,200 15,900 2,200

Rice 1,500 3,600 400

Beans 400 1,600 300

Wheat 300 2,200 500

DRC

Potato 6,600 19,100 2,200

Rice 2,300 7,000 2,600

Beans 200 800 100

Maize 1,000 3,600 600

An independent assessment on the level of ISFM adoption in Burundi, DRC and Rwanda published by B-ahead Co. Ltd in February 2012 confirmed those results at a broader level. The study findings suggest that the project was successful in regard to adoption and use of fertilizers in the region. The data collected in the study measured the impact of CATALIST and other local and international organizations, as well as the national governments.

u The capacities of LOFEPACO members were strengthened through farmer field schools where they put ISFM knowledge into practice.

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Today the percentage of farmers using both organic and inorganic fertilizers varies from 42 percent to 60 percent, while in 2006 the percentage was almost zero in some places. It is now important to ensure that farmers move forward and integrate all the components of ISFM.

The percentage of farm households that integrated the three major ISFM components (organic amendments, inorganic fertilizers and improved seeds) are 13.4 percent in Burundi, 33.0 percent in Rwanda and 39.9 percent in the South and North Kivu provinces of DRC (in DRC, the degree of adoption was only measured in a small intervention zone of CATALIST, while in Rwanda it was measured by a sample of the entire rural population). The target population for Rwanda was composed of all households living in rural areas nationwide, and the total area suitable for agriculture production owned by households who adopted the three main ISFM components (soil protection excluded) is estimated at 545,463 ha (37 percent of cultivated area). Almost

two times this area is still used for extensive agriculture. In Burundi, the target population was limited to households located in the CATALIST intervention areas which cover 352,800 ha. In these areas, adopters of ISFM own 61,740 ha (17.5 percent of the total area). A parallel calculation in DRC was not possible since the total land area from which households were selected is not known. The figures for Burundi and Rwanda prove that there is still a huge opportunity to increase crop production through improved productivity in the region.

Fertilizer Deep Placement

Fertilizer deep placement (FDP), or urea deep placement (UDP) technology (when only urea is applied), is an ISFM technique specifically used to intensify the production of rice (mostly irrigated rice); it is being used following successful tests. With UDP,

p A closer view of the supergranules produced by the machine shown in the picture below.q A fertilizer briquetter produces urea and DAP supergranules (Bujumbura, Burundi).

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p Rice farmers must apply urea supergranules by hand once per planting season, yet they prefer this to the fact that broadcast (granular) urea must be applied several times each season.

granular urea is molded into small (1-3 gram) ‘supergranules’ (USG ,or briquettes). Shortly after a rice crop has been transplanted, the urea briquettes are inserted at regular intervals in the center of four hills of seedlings at a depth of 7-10 cm. Placing the briquettes directly into the plant root zone reduces nitrogen losses by 40 percent compared with the traditional method of broadcasting urea, allowing for a similar reduction in the amount and cost of fertilizer applied. The deep-placed urea becomes a ‘food store’ for the plants, ready to be absorbed when needed, and bringing an increase in yields of at least 25 percent above a conventionally fertilized crop. Compared with broadcasting, UDP would seem both time-consuming and laborious, especially because, so far, most farmers have been inserting the fertilizer briquettes by hand. But unlike broadcasting, the application of UDP fertilizer only needs to be done once per season, and crops need less weeding (because when using the UDP technology, the weeds do not ‘share’ as much of the fertilizer with the rice plants as is true with broadcasted urea). IFDC pioneered UDP technology and it has been used extensively in Bangladesh and other Asian nations. UDP increases crop yields while using less fertilizer and generates lower levels of environmental pollution.

The UDP technology was diffused among farmers through demonstrations. The results of the UDP technology show the performance of USG on yield, agronomic efficiency of nitrogen and the value/cost ratio (VCR). Positive results have been obtained with UDP technology in Burundi, DRC and Rwanda, where preliminary results indicated a 20 percent increase in yield, a 59 percent increase in agronomic efficiency for N (AE/N) and a 50 percent VCR of fertilizers applied. The UDP technology is also having a positive impact on two important practices – irrigation and field maintenance work. In order to ensure the supply of USG in the region, machines to produce USG were made available by CATALIST to the rice cooperatives so they can sell the supergranules in small, affordable packages to rice farmers. The UDP technology is slated for significant out-scaling in the Ruzizi without Borders project area in the near future.

Modern Agricultural Techniques

In addition to the introduction and use of fertilizers, several other elements of modern agricultural production were introduced. The majority of farmer organizations used to broadcast seeds of several crops in the same area. Through demonstrations, it was proven to farmers that planting a single crop in rows with specific inter- and intra-row spacing is more productive and made weeding easier. Soil testing was carried out showing yield-hampering pH of below 5. Liming as a pH-increasing measure was introduced to farmers and demonstration plots showed how it can help increase yields. Steeply sloped landscapes dominate the production area in


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the different clusters. Therefore, training on erosion control measures and the installation of agroforestry systems were part of the capacity-strengthening activities. The integration of livestock and animal husbandry into crop production were also introduced to CATALIST-affiliated farmers.

Improved Seeds and VarietiesCATALIST staff understood the importance of the seed sector to the project. Maize, wheat and bean seeds were made available to professional cooperatives to multiply and produce certified seeds for production. This has significantly increased the availability of certified seeds for thousands of farmers in Rwanda and increased the income of those seed-producing cooperatives. Despite disparities between countries, the use of improved seeds increased significantly, reaching 20 percent in Burundi, 42 percent in South Kivu, 56 percent in Rwanda and 62 percent in North Kivu (the impact measured in DRC is only valid for CATALIST’s actual intervention zones).

For some crops (such as maize and rice), the use of high-yielding hybrid seeds should be increasingly considered. Such varieties are already

available in DRC through large-volume agro-input importers. In Rwanda, maize hybrids are imported by MINAGRI, which obtains them from Kenya and Uganda. IFDC has also cooperated with partners in the project zone to improve the genetic basis of rice through the introduction of new varieties. This is important because currently available varieties have a growing cycle as long as five months.

Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan, a world-renowned expert on rice from Vietnam (and a member of the IFDC Board of Directors) visited the intervention area in 2009, studied the rice crops and held a training workshop in Burundi in early 2010.

p Léonard Rwasa obtains higher yields with his beans, thanks to ISFM in Ngozi, Burundi.q An Irish potato farm in Musanze in Rwanda’s Northern Province.

“We want to introduce better flavored varieties

that consumers enjoy and that are at the same time short-cycle varieties, allowing more harvests per year,” explained Alexis Ntamavukiro, national coordinator for the CATALIST project in Burundi.

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Reverien Nkunzumuryango and Odette Kamagama survived their country’s decade-long civil war by growing rice, sweet potatoes, beans and other staples to feed their two children – but achieving food security was a daily challenge for them, leaving no money for ‘luxuries’ such as farm animals or even clothing.

Reverien and Odette remained in Gaharo, a farming village in the drought-prone Kirundo Province of northern Burundi, while many others moved on. With the war behind them, the couple chose to rebuild their lives by helping to organize their association, Tugiringuvu Mu Bikorwa (‘Use Strength to Work.’). In 2007, their association joined 11 other groups to form a cooperative, named Terimberemurimyi ( ‘Producers Develop Yourselves.’). Through the cooperative they learned about the CATALIST trials, which offered the possibility of increasing their crop yield through ISFM. These techniques incrementally increase soil nutrient levels for better crop production and thereby increase profitability.

For their first rice harvest using ISFM, they borrowed 31,020 Burundian Francs (BF). The results were less than hoped for because the rice variety they planted was prone to disease. Nevertheless, they harvested about 300 kg and after paying for processing and transportation, they realized a profit of 245,000 BF. Reverien recalled his first purchases with the rice harvest profits – new clothes for himself and his wife. The bulk of the money went towards the purchase of a cow, shared with a neighbor – an investment that generates milk and manure. After that first season, they received bean seeds for planting from CATALIST. The crop was plentiful without any additional need for fertilizers since the land remained fertile from the previous use of inputs. The couple earned 83,000 BF for the harvest. “Before CATALIST we produced 10-15 kilograms of beans, but afterwards, it jumped to 40-70 kilograms for the same area!” Reverien explained, saying that when other farmers saw their results, they asked to join the cooperative, too. n

p Odette and Reverien expect a bright future with their cooperative, which taught them about ISFM and introduced them to the inventory credit system and value-added processing.

Improving harvests through cooperative membership and ISFM practices

SUCCESS STORY


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n Soil Protection and Erosion Prevention through Agroforestry

The agroforestry component in CATALIST utilized HIMO and was facilitated by HELPAGE, an IFDC sub-contractor. Nurseries were created for tree seedlings, and HIMO labor was used to nurture the seedlings and then to plant agroforestry plots. The first priority of tree planting was to protect the soil and prevent erosion on the region’s thousands of hillsides. Micro-woodlots were planted on land that is unsuitable for agriculture and the tree- planting reduced erosion as much as 70 percent in certain regions of the intervention zone.

In total 11,078,079 agroforestry, forestry and fruit tree plants (128 percent of the target of 8,662,490 plants) were produced and 9,501,551 were planted on 4,616 ha (of which 4,245 ha were agroforestry lots and 371 ha were micro-woodlots). The remaining 1,551,528 plants were distributed to the population outside the sites for private woodlot planting, particularly in Burundi and DRC.

Over the duration of the project, an evolution took place in which agroforestry was no longer seen as only a soil protection and erosion prevention measure. The positive influence of the tree planting was strongly reinforced by applying agroforestry as an ISFM technology. CATALIST evolved from tree planting intensive agroforestry over the duration of the project.

“Oh yes! My land is steep…very steep! We used to have a real problem with

rainwater running down the slopes. But since they trained us to protect our soil by digging ditches for rainwater run-off and creating terraces, the land is becoming more manageable. Because some of the land is so steep and is not suitable for food crops, I have been planting trees on that land. Now even those who haven’t followed CATALIST are realizing that they have to protect the soil. Recently my neighbor saw that my farm had improved; now he’s just planted trees and dug rainwater run-off ditches too.”– Léonard Rwasa, Farmer – Ngozi Province, Burundi

p CATALIST’s sub-contractor HELPAGE used HIMO labor to carry out agroforestry activities ranging from establishing tree seedling nurseries to planting trees (Rwanda).

t This photo shows steep hillside farmland in Northern Province, Rwanda. Agroforestry benefits land like this by helping prevent soil run-off, absorbing water and improving environmental diversity.


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p Intensive agroforestry practices are evident on a plot of land in Burundi.

Shifting from Extensive Agroforestry to Intensive Agroforestry

Extensive agroforestry is agroforestry that is used to protect the soils, prevent erosion and uses trees to increase the efficiency of the inorganic fertilizer used. In the case of extensive agroforestry, positive yields are an exception because the competition that exists between crops and trees for nutrients, water and sunlight is too strong. Countering this competition requires in-depth knowledge and understanding of agroforestry and intensive labor to maintain the agroforestry plots. Although tree planting protects the soils on hills and slopes against erosion, it does not necessarily increase crop yields. Therefore, CATALIST switched from extensive agroforestry to intensive agroforestry.

An entirely different picture appears when intensive agroforestry is applied as an ISFM technology, using inorganic fertilizers. Yield increases are obtained because of effective fertilizer use; an extra yield increase of about 25 percent is due to the tree component of the system; N-fixation plays only a minor role. The main effect of the trees is an improvement in the soil’s organic matter status.

In 2009, IFDC launched another regional project – Sustainable Energy Production through Woodlots and Agroforestry in the Albertine Rift (SEW) – that reinforced intensive agroforestry activities and accelerated the development of agroforestry innovations.

Sustainable Energy through Woodlots and Agroforestry in the Albertine Rift (SEW) The SEW project is a three-year regional project implemented by IFDC and its partners that aims to achieve sustainable energy production based on reforestation and the professionalization of the energy production sector.

The project is increasing the production of sustainable energy while also decreasing its consumption.

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p As represented in the graphic above, a parcel of land can produce food, biomass for compost and biomass that can be used as an energy source. This graphic shows how, with intensive agroforestry, the combination of the use of inorganic and organic fertilizer and the planting of trees creates a triple benefit for the farmer: more food, more biomass that can be used partially as compost and partially to satisfy the energy needs of the household. This new concept of agroforestry that produces up to 10 times more biomass per hectare needs further research but could be a sustainable solution for different problems in rural areas.

Figure 1. Intensive Agroforestry: Differences in Productivity

=

=

=

=

+

+

Land Grains: 1.3 Straw: 1.9 Leaves: 0 Wood: 0 Total mt/ha/yr 3.2

Land + fertilizer Grains: 4.2 Straw: 6.3 Leaves: 0 Wood: 0 Total mt/ha/yr 10.5

Trees planted Grains: 2.6 Straw: 3.9 Leaves: 5.6 Wood: 6.5 Total mt/ha/yr 18

Trees planted + fertilizer Grains: 4.1 Straw: 6.1 Leaves: 9.5 Wood: 13 Total mt/ha/yr 32


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Objective Group 2: Cluster and Value Chain DevelopmentCATALIST helped the agricultural sector to function more effectively and efficiently, thereby increasing stakeholders’ incomes. These objectives were accomplished through IFDC’s Competitive Agricultural Systems and Enterprises (CASE) solution and labor-intensive infrastructure work.

n Support the Development of Competitive Agricultural Systems and Enterprises

Many smallholder farmers in the CAGLR struggle to access improved seeds, quality fertilizers and crop protection products at the right time, in the right quantity and at an affordable price. Many also often lack access to credit. Because there is often a production surplus, they may have difficulty selling their crops at prices that generate a profit (and they may not even earn enough money to cover their cost of production). The ultimate goal of CASE is to give these farmers the knowledge and tools they need to grow more and better food crops and then to link the farmers to markets so that they can sell their surplus produce at a profit. Through CASE, IFDC strengthens the capacities of farmers (as well as other value chain stakeholders at every level).

CASE combines ISFM and the development of competitive commodity chains. Empowerment is also a critical element of CASE and can include: teaching farmers more productive farming techniques; how to advocate for more information and stronger agricultural laws; better services from public organizations; protection and improvement of farmers’ rights; and transparency at all levels of policymaking. Through CASE, farmers and local entrepreneurs learn to identify agricultural production and business opportunities and invest in their own futures. Agro-dealers, agro-processors and other rural entrepreneurs are provided assistance to develop their businesses, create and market their new products and/or access credit.

p François Uwimana and his wife were able to open a small shop in Burundi using money from his participation in CAPAD. Fertilizer is one of many items they sell.

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Agribusiness cluster formation and strengthening public and private institutions that enable agribusiness and trade are the key principles of CASE. Agribusiness cluster formation is the coordination among various stakeholders at the grassroots level, including smallholder farmers, agro-dealers, local entrepreneurs, traders, financial institutions, research and extension services and market information systems.

Developed from real field- and enterprise-level learning experiences, CASE is based on the recognition that smallholder farmers, local processors, agro-dealers, warehouse managers and/or other members of agribusiness clusters often do not know each other well and sometimes they may even distrust each other. That limits their potential to work together to increase their individual and collective competitiveness and therefore increase their incomes and improve their lives.

CASE is one of the cornerstones of IFDC’s work in Africa. The approach has been beneficial to nearly one million African farmers through improvements in the fertility of their soils as well as initial or greater access to agricultural input and output (produce) markets. Agribusiness clusters using CASE have doubled crop yields and increased their incomes by 30 to 50 percent .

Figure 2. CASE – Conceptual Framework


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Over the duration of the project, CATALIST supported the development of 54 agribusiness clusters in Burundi, DRC and Rwanda around 12 crops: beans, cassava, green peas, Irish potatoes, maize, passion fruit, pineapple, rice, soybeans, tomatoes, various vegetables and wheat. These clusters are composed of different participants (such as smallholder farmers, traders, agro-dealers, MFIs and Business Support Services [BSSs]). Approximately 217,000 farmers were introduced to the agribusiness cluster concept over the duration of the project, organized into 406 farmer cooperatives/associations. Cluster development also involved 409 agro-dealers; 1,399 commodity traders; 237 processors and several MFIs. Nearly 50 percent (47) of those responsible for cluster development are women.

Table 3. Agribusiness Clusters and Farmer Group Size Per Country

CountryClusters Farmer HH Involved Avg.

Cluster Size

No. Farmer Organizations

(FOs)Avg. No. FO per Cluster

Avg. No. Farmers per FONo. % No. %

Rwanda 25 46.3% 114,245 52.5% 4,570 177 7.1 645

Burundi 17 31.5% 48,252 22.2% 2,838 167 9.8 289

DRC 12 22.2% 55,238 25.4% 4,603 62 5.2 891

Total 54 100% 217,735 100% 4,032 406 7.5 536

p Drip irrigation and UDP in use on a test plot growing cabbages (Rwanda).q Farmers display their pineapple harvest (Burundi).

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u Different varieties of maize are tested in Nyagatare, Rwanda to discover which variety results in the highest yields.

Adapting Techniques to Increase Production

The enormous increase in agricultural production is one of the key successes of the different clusters. Regardless of the product, all clusters reported a two-fold, sometimes a three-fold and in exceptional cases even a four-fold increase in yields. This is due to the introduction of ISFM and the convincing results of demonstration plots in each cluster. In almost all the rice clusters of the three countries, the UDP technology was introduced and USG processing machines were left with cooperatives to produce and sell the granules to their members and neighbors. All of these cooperatives reported yield increases between 20 and 30 percent and a reduced need for weeding. Production weaknesses which persist, particularly in Irish potato and vegetable clusters, are due to plant diseases such as bacterial wilt and mildew. Irish potatoes are among the most productive and profitable commodities; therefore some farmers are neglecting the importance of crop rotation. In those cases, plant diseases are increasing. The availability of quality seeds for Irish potatoes also remains a challenge. The use of inadequate seed materials and varieties is a constraint for other crops. Some rice and maize clusters are using varieties with a very long production cycle of more than six months. Therefore, the farmers involved are not able to grow an additional crop during the year.


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Introduction of Mechanization

In general, the level of agricultural mechanization in all clusters is very low for several reasons, and even the use of animal traction is rarely seen in the project intervention zone. The use of a simple hoe to dig in the field remains the dominant method of cultivation. The small size of the farms does not allow for the use of tractors (and sometimes not even animal traction). Moreover, many of the owners of large farms and many farmers’ organizations do not have the financial means to purchase expensive tractors or power tillers.

Nonetheless, CATALIST introduced modern mechanization technology in several clusters. Animal traction was introduced in some maize clusters in Nyagatare, Rwanda and the Ruzizi Plain, DRC. Farmers who were trained to use animal traction correctly are convinced of its advantages (cultivating more land in a shorter time, reduced labor costs, fewer weeds and improved yields). Where animal traction was already in use, an improved plowing device (the Magoye Ripper) was introduced and well-liked by farmers. Through the use of minimum tillage, water is conserved; planting, fertilizing and weeding become easier and the work is faster than with a traditional plow.

p Two-wheeled tractors or ‘moto-cultivators’ have been introduced in rice farming throughout the Ruzizi Plain.

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In the rice clusters of Ruzizi in the DRC and in the Imbo region of Burundi, power tillers were tested on irrigated land. The cooperatives involved in the test – COOSOPRODA and CAPAD – were so impressed by the results that they are considering borrowing money to purchase more power tillers and provide their members with this service. A no-tillage planter combined with a fertilizer application device was tested by the cooperative LOFEPACO in the rice cluster in Kyatenga, DRC. This device is adaptable for use on other crops such as maize and beans.

EFAMEC received technical and financial support from CATALIST to produce spare parts for the two-wheeled tractors. This local company also trained technicians and drivers to use this equipment effectively in land cultivation. The development of these local capacities will support the sustainability of the broad-based introduction of these techniques in the future.


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Working with Farmer Organizations

CATALIST worked with 406 farmer organizations across the three countries. The capabilities and levels of organization of the different farmer organizations varies considerably. There are unions of cooperatives such as: IMBARAGA (focused on an Irish potato cluster in Rwanda), with more than 8,000 members; LOFEPACO, organized around a rice cluster in DRC with over 16,000 members; and COOCENKI, organized around a maize cluster in DRC with almost 9,000 members. These are cooperatives with well-defined objectives,

common activities such as the bulk sale of commodities produced by their members and the bulk purchase of agro-inputs such as seeds and fertilizers. These cooperatives have paid staff to ensure the functioning of the cooperative, its offices, warehouses and equipment. Quite often they have an internal credit system to provide loans to their members so that they can purchase agro-inputs for the upcoming season.

Conversely, there are farmer organizations such as Rimawihe, which is organized around an Irish potato cluster in Burundi. Rimawihe has not reached the level of a cooperative yet. Farmers are organized in a simple association without an office and few common activities. There is no paid staff to manage the association’s business affairs and members pay very small membership fees. Purchases of agro-inputs are still done individually. In addition, the local cooperatives and farmers’ associations

receive varying levels of government support in the different countries.

CATALIST’s approach to capacity building of farmers’ organizations was business-driven. The project focused more on the business development of small cooperatives and their members’ farming skills rather than institutional capacity building or creating platforms for lobbying and advocacy. However, CATALIST partnered with Agriterra to strengthen the institutional aspects as a member of Agri-ProFocus.

p Larger amounts of surplus local production is sold to food aid programs such as the World Food Programme, which was persuaded to source more of its supplies from developing nations.

“CATALIST encouraged us to bring the farmers together around the potato

cluster. Because of that we were able to link them to processing plants, to outlets to buy seeds and to buyers. Now we can help them get a good price. We hope that within three years our export sales will have doubled and we want to start getting contracts so our business becomes formalized. Our other aims are to improve packaging, cleanliness, transportation and storage, to help increase the price IMBARAGA members get for their produce.”

– Joseph Gafaranga Executive Secretary, IMBARAGA

Northern Province, Rwanda

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Increasing Access to Markets

With help from CATALIST, many clusters have improved their market access. Through improved yields, significant surpluses were produced for different markets. The yield increases due to the application of ISFM technology also reduced the production costs per kg of all commodities by an average of around 50 percent. Therefore, smallholder producers became more competitive and benefited in two ways (increased production coupled with lower production costs per kilogram).

ISFM technology not only improved the quantity of crops produced but also their quality. Vegetable producers in Burundi mentioned that their tomatoes are now highly sought after by wholesalers and customers in the capital city of Bujumbura. In addition,

the market for top-quality maize, wheat and bean seeds pays twice as much as the same crops produced for consumption (e.g. 400 RWF/kg maize seed versus 200 RWF/kg maize grains bought by a mill).

A huge rice market was identified and linkages were established in the rice cluster in Ruzizi, DRC. Farmer-members of the large cooperative COOSOPRODA are selling about 180 mt of white rice per season to the Bukavu-based Bralima brewery.

After several years of negotiations, COOCENKI in Butembo, DRC and RDO in Nyagatare, Rwanda have established ongoing business relationships with the World Food Programme (WFP) and its Purchase for Progress (P4P) program, thanks to the high quality of their processed maize flour and the organizations’ capacity to supply large quantities. WFP formerly imported all the food used for its aid programs. Through the P4P, the WFP started buying local crop surpluses, which supports the local economy while also delivering food aid to the neediest.

Having large buyers such as RAB (maize, wheat and bean seeds) WFP (maize flour) and Bralima (white rice) encourages farmers and cooperatives to increase production. The risk involved in relying on a single buyer is lessened through a diversification of customers.

“Since 2008, we at the brewery felt the need to search for a local supply of rice. We wanted

to use rice from the Ruzizi Plain, instead of continuing to import rice. At that stage we were contacted by IFDC/CATALIST. Their program was working in the same direction as our policy – we both wanted to see how to develop rice farming in the region. As a result of working with the project, we now almost never need to import rice, although at the end of 2011 there was a short-term supply problem so we had to import just for a while. Production of our beers is increasing because of market demand, so our need for rice from the Ruzizi Plain is increasing too. It is up to the farmers and their associations to organize themselves so they can increase their production capacity. We are ready to buy from them if they do.”

– Camille Kassongo Director, Bralima brewery

DRC

“We have many suppliers, among which are traders, but also associations.

The WFP has already bought from COOCENKI, and also from SYDIP which are farmers’ associations. COOCENKI works directly with farmers. It supervises them, and collects their products and searches for markets for them. And today, among the buyers and markets they have found is the World Food Programme.”

– Gustave Bahati Logistics Officer

World Food Programme Goma, DRC


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Processing Agricultural Commodities for Added Value

Processing is the most important method to add value to agricultural commodities. There are three levels of processing in the project intervention zone – industrial processing, semi-industrial processing and traditional processing by hand.

Industrial processing involves large-scale factories with permanent employees and proper marketing strategies. Their products are packed and of high-quality. They are regularly inspected by government institutions and certified. CATALIST worked with a few of these business partners. In Rwanda, CATALIST worked with SOSOMA Enterprises in Kigali, which buys soybeans and maize in large quantities to produce improved

flour (particularly for baby foods). There are also large maize mills like MINIMEX in Kigali and MUKAMIRA in the Nyabihu District, Western Province. Both mills sometimes lack enough local maize to be fully operational and therefore they import maize from Uganda to maintain their production levels. Unfortunately, local farmers in the maize cluster still prefer producing maize seeds or selling fresh maize cobs at the roadside or on the local market. In the two large Kivu provinces of DRC, there is only one industrial processor involved with the project’s agribusiness clusters. The Bralima brewery in Bukavu sources 180 mt of white rice per year from cooperatives of the rice cluster located on the Ruzizi Plain. Bralima’s requirement is about 3,000 mt of white rice per year. In Burundi, CATALIST collaborates with MINOLAC, a wheat flour processing factory in Muramvya. While CATALIST-affiliated farmers sell some of their produce to the factory, there are bottlenecks related to low local productivity, the quality of seeds and handling costs related to collecting local smallholder farmers’ production.

p A COOCENKI staff member checks the quality of maize to be milled in the cooperative’s new milling equipment.q Small machines make the shelling of maize much easier for farmers who participate in maize clusters.

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Semi-industrial processing involves small machines to transform agricultural products. This level of processing is usually done by cooperatives, SMEs or individuals. The quantity processed is much less than at the industrial level; packing is quite simple and quality control is sporadic. This type of processing can be found in the maize clusters of DRC and Rwanda, where RDO in Nyagatare processes about 5 mt of maize per day into flour. Pineapple is processed by a cooperative in Bugesera, Rwanda into pineapple wine and soybeans are processed into flour, tofu and soymilk by the COCOF cooperative. Semi-industrial processors in Rwanda are facing serious challenges. The Rwandan Bureau of Standard is very strict, and the criteria for proper hygiene are set at a very high level. Individuals or cooperatives in the several rice clusters are making quite a good profit with rice dehusking. In the CATALIST intervention zone, grading of white rice into broken and long grains is still rare and could be an opportunity to add even more value to the commodity (together with appropriate

packaging and labeling into smaller bags [1 kg and 5 kg]).

Traditional hand-processing of agricultural products plays a rather insignificant role in the clusters at this time. In West Africa, thousands of womens’ groups process a wide variety of products. Examples include: groundnuts into butter and sweets; cassava into gari and tapioca; soybeans into milk and biscuits; beans into ‘fatcakes;‘ tomatoes into dried tomatoes and tomato sauce; or chilli peppers into chilli powder. These activities rarely take place in the Great Lakes Region.

p In order to ensure proper storage, the NYAMIG store manager tests the temparature of the stored grain. The grain is stored until a better price can be obtained on the market.

“Because of the CATALIST training some agro-dealers

reduced losses due to poor storage by 90 percent, increased sales an average of 200 percent for fertilizers, 135 percent for seeds and 85 percent for pesticides within three months following their training. My sales have never been greater than one million RWF, but now my sales are 50 million RWF because of what I learned.”

– Gabriel Nsekerabanzi Kinigi, Rwanda


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Developing the Input Market

During the project, 1,100 agro-dealers were trained. The trained agro-dealers have increased knowledge about the products they are selling (fertilizers, seeds and pesticides), storage techniques and agro-input marketing. Prior to the training the agro-dealers often had very little knowledge about the products they were selling or their proper use, which had a significant impact on the amount of agro-inputs sold (and their effectiveness). In Rwanda, two IFDC projects, Rwanda Agro-Dealer Development (RADD) and Privatization of Rwanda’s Fertilizer Import and Distribution System (PReFER), are building on the accomplishments of CATALIST and increasing the capacities of agro-dealers. During the final year of CATALIST, a COMESA-funded project, COMESA Regional Agricultural Inputs Program (COMRAP), also trained agro-dealers and agents in Rwanda and Burundi. The agribusiness sectors in Burundi and Rwanda were also mapped during this project.

Each country has its own strategy regarding input markets. In general, fertilizers are subsidized in Rwanda, and tax-free in Burundi and DRC. In DRC, there are still significant constraints to fertilizer importation. National statistics report that in 2011, Burundi imported 3,900 mt, Rwanda imported 42,000 mt and DRC imported only 380 mt of fertilizers.

Due to the government’s progressive agricultural policy, mineral fertilizer accessibility has improved a great deal in Rwanda. With technical assistance from IFDC, the introduction of a ‘voucher system’ significantly increased the use of DAP and urea fertilizer in maize and wheat clusters. The government subsidizes the fertilizer costs at a rate of 50 percent. Small decentralized agro-input shops are opening all over the country and are making these agro-inputs locally available. Agro-dealers in all three countries have been trained by the project on technical and marketing issues in order to provide better services to their clients.

p A young woman sells a variety of agro-inputs in her brand new store.u DUTERIMBERE IMF is one of the financial institutions that now uses the inventory

credit system in Rwanda.

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In Burundi, CATALIST conducted training for agro-dealers on fertilizer product knowledge and the benefits of fertilizer micro-packs. CATALIST introduced 1-kg and 5-kg micro-packs of DAP and urea. These smaller packages of fertilizers were adapted to the needs of small-scale farmers who cannot afford (or do not need) fertilizer in larger amounts. The micro-packs are available at some agro-dealer shops but should be promoted more widely. The project also conducted a study on informal markets in 2011. This study showed that there is need for coordination, control and regulation in the fertilizer sector. In Burundi, the MAL leadership understands the importance of mineral fertilizers and wants to support this sector through direct subsidy. Unfortunately, the fertilizer distribution network is so weak that timely availability of sufficient amounts of fertilizers cannot be guaranteed. Farmers receive less than 10 percent of the mineral fertilizer needed, and when it arrives it is often too late to be used during the current crop season. Private agro-dealers are suffering from decreasing returns because of the subsidized competition. IFDC continues to work with the MAL to find solutions to these problems.

In DRC, when CATALIST arrived in the Kivu provinces in 2006, pesticides, veterinary products and some vegetable garden products were the only agro-inputs sold. Fertilizers were almost non-existent and considered harmful to soil fertility when the project started. Through information campaigns, lobbying activities and the creation of numerous demonstration plots, these misconceptions were diminished. Through transportation and distribution subsidies from CATALIST, mineral fertilizers were made more available and used more pervasively by farmers in the North and South Kivu provinces of DRC. The role of fertilizer importer and distributor in North Kivu is handled by COOCENKI; in South Kivu it is done by the agro-dealer association ADVS. However,

relying on only one organization for such large regions represents a risk. During the project, CATALIST was an advocate for the tax-free importation of bagged fertilizers and bulk supplies to produce fertilizers. The tax exemption was granted twice for limited periods of time in the DRC, allowing agro-dealers to store fertilizers for the upcoming season. The new Code Agricole incorporates tax exemptions for agro-inputs for an indefinite period of time.

Improving Access to Credit

Access to credit is one of the biggest obstacles to agricultural development (not only in the CATALIST project area, but in almost all Sub-Saharan African countries). Financial institutions consider the agricultural sector a very risky business, as pests, diseases, droughts, floods and other natural calamities can destroy all or part of a farmer’s crops, or even the crops of an entire farmers’ organization. If that occurs, repaying a loan may be impossible for already poor farmers. The lack of a guarantee is another constraint which keeps banks and MFIs from lending money to farmers and/or farmers’ organizations. CATALIST introduced the inventory credit system to local farmers’ organizations and cooperatives, improved relationships with MFIs and banks for all the participants of the value chains and awarded small grants to boost innovative initiatives in the agricultural sector.


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Introducing the Inventory Credit System

An inventory credit system (also known as a warehouse receipts system, or warrantage) allows farmers to warehouse agricultural commodities after a harvest until prices increase, thus raising their incomes. The stored crops can also be used as collateral for loans from banks and MFIs. The farmers and the bank or MFI decide together when the stored crops will be sold. This short-term loan system protects farmers against low prices (generally at harvest when there is an ample supply) by giving them access to credit when they need it the most. The need for – and lack of – credit can force farmers to sell their crops to the first buyer at harvest, often at a low price. Then, the farmer must buy food and seeds a few months

later at higher prices. A key advantage of the inventory credit system is that farmers can sell their crops in the months after the harvest, when market prices are often higher. The system is appealing to banks and MFIs because the crops are held as collateral against a loan, and they increase in value with time. Farmers usually are granted a loan for an amount set at 60 percent of the value of their stored crop at harvest.

For example, cooperatives of the maize cluster in Nyagatare, Rwanda stored 70 mt of maize in 2009 and 400 mt in 2010. The loans provided represented 60 percent of the market value at harvest; in 2010 that amount was 28.8 million RWF.

CATALIST introduced the inventory credit system in cooperation with 10 farmers’ organizations or cooperatives (five in Burundi, three in DRC and two in Rwanda), linking them with six financial institutions.

p Célestin Twahirwa was able to purchase a cow with the money he earned through participation in an inventory credit system started by CATALIST partner CAPAD (Burundi).

“The inventory credit system has accomplished much more than I can

describe,” said Célestin Twahirwa, a farmer and member of the Abakebugwa Bakumva (‘those who listen when called’) cooperative in Burundi. Also a community leader, Twahirwa heads the Mutuelle de Solidarité (MUSO), which is a group of producers who pool their funds to offer small loans to one another. “There was a time when I could not imagine having the money to buy a cow, a bicycle and two mobile phones. Even finding the money to call my son at his school in the city was a dream,” explained Twahirwa. He is among 1,800 farmers benefiting from an inventory credit system in the Kabuyenge and Muramba marshlands.

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p The KCB bank supports the inventory credit system in Kamonyi, Rwanda.

q The farmers’ cooperative CLECAM has established a savings and credit fund for its members (Gisenyi, Rwanda).

The Inventory Credit SystemOdette Ntirampeba, a member of the Girumwete Dukore cooperative in Burundi’s Imbo Plain, explained that many farmers who stored their harvests before the inventory credit system was established are in debt because of high interest loans from local businessmen. “Sadly, it is those with the most money who benefit from the farmers’ efforts,” stated Ntirampeba. An effective inventory credit system can break this cycle and generate greater opportunities and revenues for farmers. The inventory credit system was also successfully launched by Caisse d’épargne et de Crédit Mutuel (CECM) in Musenyi commune in Bujumbura Province.


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u An external view of COOCENKI’s warehouse where provisions are bought and sold in Butembo, North Kivu (DRC). Members of the COOCENKI cooperative have increased their harvests through the use of ISFM and also participate in value-added activities such as flour milling to increase their incomes.

p A small grant allowed the group ‘Appui aux initiatives des personnes défavorisées’ (AIPD) in Burundi to purchase a machine to manufacture plastic bottles for dairy products.

Providing Grants

Small grants for innovative projects in the agricultural sector were also used by CATALIST to boost farmers’ and entrepreneurs’ activities. The project awarded €261,745 to 29 promoters in the agricultural sector (11 each in Burundi and DRC and seven in Rwanda). More than 700 proposals were received by CATALIST for very diverse projects ranging from seed production to agricultural product processing (such as the production of maracuja juice).

Two CAPAD cooperatives – Girumwete Dukore and Terimbere – secured small grants from the CATALIST program. The grant to Girumwete Dukore facilitated the building of a warehouse and the acquisition of rice hulling/husking machinery. The grant to Terimbere helped establish a rotating fund, and CAPAD assists the cooperative in its management. In addition, agro-input sales points were established in three cooperatives with the assistance of the small grants program. Fertilizer, seeds and CPPs are now sold directly to farmers from these sales points.

Linking Farmers to MFIs and Banks

Implementing an inventory credit system and providing small grants are not enough to support farmers seeking to move from subsistence to market-oriented agriculture, according to Kagabo Nkubito, a CATALIST

According to Dr. Annick Sezibera, founding member and CAPAD executive secretary, “Our partnership with CATALIST has allowed CAPAD members to learn more about the financial aspects of agriculture, as well as a great deal from study trips such as the one to West Africa in 2007. We came back having made the decision to introduce the inventory credit system in Burundi with CATALIST.” Dr. Sezibera continued, “CAPAD collaborates with IFDC and other organizations to influence agricultural policies in Burundi and to help producers obtain loans from financial institutions or identify markets for products.”

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credit expert. “Supporting the whole value chain is the essential condition for the transformation to market-oriented agriculture,” explained Nkubito. Agribusiness cluster members’ lack of properly formulated business plans is prevalent in almost all clusters and a constraint to credit access. Future project activities should take this into account.

Therefore, in addition to introducing the inventory credit system in the region and establishing a small grants program, CATALIST helped farmer and producer organizations create linkages to banks and MFIs. For example, more than 250 farmers from three different CAPAD cooperatives received $26,000 in loans from COOPEC, a bank in the Bwambarangwe commune in Burundi’s Kirundo Province.

(continued on page 45)

p ADVS has restored its agro-input shop in Bukavu, which supplies retailers in the surrounding territories of Kabare and Walungu (DRC).

“Before June 2009, no farmer had approached COOPEC

for a bank loan, so this is a very important step,” explained Methusela Horicubonye, the bank’s branch manager. “These farmers were introduced to COOPEC through CAPAD and CATALIST. In addition to the loans, over 100 farmers have bank accounts with COOPEC in Bwambarangwe. That is unprecedented!”


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Over the last several years, Rwanda has become the fourth-largest potato producing country in Africa. The Nyabihu and Rubavu districts are part of the major production area in the northern part of the country (bordering the DRC and Uganda). Irish potatoes have become the staple food for the local population. The crop surplus is sold in different parts of Rwanda and exported to the DRC and Burundi.

In this highly populated area, an average potato producer cultivates about 0.2 ha in rotation with maize, wheat and beans. On average, one-quarter of the potato production is consumed by the farmer’s family. The remaining 75 percent is sold via collectors, transporters and dealers to consumers who have different preferences. During the peak season, almost 900 tons per day are sold; about 500 tons per day are transported to the city of Butare, 300 tons per day are transported to Kigali and 80 tons per day are shipped into the DRC. Customers

in Burundi prefer the more expensive large and white varieties, whereas Rwandan consumers prefer white, medium-sized potatoes. Consumers in the DRC prefer red varieties such as Mabondo, Dikungu and Victoria.

In 2007, CATALIST began activities to help supply these important markets. The facilitating local NGO, Le Bureau d’Appui aux Initiatives Rurales (BAIR), collaborates with 13 cooperatives in the region, from which four were selected to learn more about crop intensification and soil fertility. About 1,600 farmers have been engaged in the participatory learning process focused on ISFM technology. As a first step, fertilizer tests were carried out to identify the optimum fertilizer rate. The combination of organic manure with urea, DAP and KCl (98-51-48) proved to be the most effective. A maximum yield of 50 mt/ha has been achieved under optimum conditions and an average yield is 34 mt/ha.

p Cooperatives bring the potato harvest together in their storage rooms.u A young farmer celebrates the successful potato harvest.

Developing Rwanda’s Potato Cluster in Nyabihu and Rubavu Districts

SUCCESS STORY

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This is a huge increase in yield compared with the normal farmer practice which yields 6-10 mt/ha. After these findings, the second step began in 2009 with the installation of 46 demonstration plots in the two districts to help educate as many farmers as possible. Farmer field days and visits were organized to demonstrate the results of improved production methods. In addition to yield improvement, participating farmers saw that the ISFM technology reduced the per kilogram cost of potato production by 50 percent.

In addition to the demands of improving production technology, a major challenge for the project was the facilitation of networking between different members of the value chain. To assure the availability of the needed mineral fertilizers, CATALIST helped 120 agro-dealers become more professional in their operations through knowledge transfer and training. Linkages between those agro-dealers and the fertilizer wholesaler in Kigali who is collaborating with MINAGRI were established. Furthermore, linkages were established between the national agricultural research institute – Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda (ISAR) – and the cooperatives to assure the availability of seed material. Through CATALIST facilitation efforts, farmers were linked to Unguka, a local MFI. BAIR developed business plans for two cooperatives, which allowed them to obtain credit to purchase seed and fertilizer. The cooperative COAPTKA

received and paid back a loan of 7 million RWF, while a second cooperative (COAT) received and repaid a 3 million RWF line of credit.

n Future ChallengesAlthough the linkage with ISAR provides some seed, the organization of the sector still needs to be improved because the availability of improved basic seed is insufficient and not timely. BAIR agronomists were trained by CATALIST to produce basic seed out of mini-tubers (pre-base). Therefore, the NGO is considering the possibility of becoming actively involved in seed production in order to establish closer ties with the cooperatives. This would assure a sustainable supply of good quality seeds. The major challenge is that the production of mini-tubers requires a greenhouse, which is too costly for BAIR at this time. Because contacts with MFIs have been successfully established, applying for credit may be a solution for BAIR.

Through the application of ISFM technology, farmers have achieved an average net benefit of about 650,000 RWF/ha, and in the most successful cases over 2 million RWF/ha. Traditional farming practices normally have an average net benefit of 150,000 RWF/ha for wheat production and 120,000 RWF/ha for maize production. Therefore, the improvements are quite significant. A negative impact, however, is that the increased profit margin has led to the unwanted situation of some farmers neglecting the importance of crop rotation because they perceive that growing only potatoes will be more lucrative. This is a very dangerous practice, since the farmers risk more pests and diseases by not rotating crops. Mildew and other bacterial and viral diseases are becoming more common. Pesticides are not always available, and even agro-dealers don’t know much about them. Therefore, training farmers and agro-dealers in ISFM technology remains critically important for the potato value chain in northern Rwanda in order to assure an increased and sustainable supply of potatoes for the region. n


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But other participants in the value chain also need access to credit and seem to have difficulties in getting it. Processors want to improve the quality of their products. Local maize mills need to buy rust-proof grinding and milling machinery, soymilk processors need proper machinery which guarantees sterilization and rice shellers need a grading machine for white rice. There is also a need for improved packaging (for soymilk and tofu, but also to package USG fertilizer into micro-packs). All these are necessary investments which require credit. In addition to banks and MFIs being reluctant to finance those activities, it is also the potential borrower who must think twice before he asks for a loan. The interest rates of 2 to 2.5 percent per month charged by most financial institutions are very steep but are often necessary to cover the cost of credit and default.

n HIMO: Labor Intensive Infrastructure WorkRoad Rehabilitation for Improved Market Access, Soil Protection and Erosion Prevention

CATALIST used HIMO to improve rural infrastructure and to execute the planting aspect of the agroforestry component of the project. This labor strategy creates temporary jobs building infrastructure (primarily roads) to facilitate access to and from remote areas so that trade opportunities – particularly agricultural trade – can be increased. Roads selected for improvement were located in areas with the potential for agricultural commodity value chains to flourish if market access was improved. The planting of agroforestry trees was implemented to stabilize the soils and landscapes and protect them from erosion, a common problem in the ‘land of a thousand hills.’

The HIMO approach has two advantages: farmers’ market access is improved and temporary jobs are created, directly contributing to the incomes of those hired. Another aspect of HIMO is that the work is mostly done by people who are particularly vulnerable and so this directly contributed to the stability of the region. HELPAGE, a CATALIST sub-contractor with branches in the three countries, oversaw most of the project’s HIMO work.

A total of 156 kilometers of roads were rehabilitated (47 km in Burundi, 96 km in DRC and 15 km in Rwanda). In total, 11,078,079 agroforestry, forestry and fruit tree plants (128 percent of the target of 8,662,490 plants) were produced and 9,501,551 were planted on 4,616 ha (of which 4,245 ha are agroforestry lots and 371 ha are

p Women were included in HIMO projects, working alongside men on the construction and rehabilitation of roads and bridges.

t Through the HIMO approach, organized by CATALIST sub-contractor HELPAGE, a great many vulnerable people were employed in the construction of roads.


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micro–woodlots). The remaining 1,551,528 plants were distributed to the population outside the sites for private woodlot planting, especially in Burundi and DRC.

The HIMO program accounted for 1,375,027 man-days of labor (420,445 in DRC, 720,316 in Burundi and 234,266 in Rwanda) during the project. In total, 43,582 people (23,014 men and 20,568 women) were employed, which resulted in an increase in incomes in rural areas of the project zone. Almost €1.6 million were paid as wages to the most vulnerable populations in the intervention zone over the duration of the project.

HELPAGE sought to hire poor farmers, widows and widowers, displaced persons and demobilized soldiers and combatants for HIMO activities. Women comprised 47 percent of the HIMO workforce. To assist in the implementation of the HIMO activities, HELPAGE worked with 51 small and medium enterprises, farmers’ organizations and local organizations, and helped to strengthen the capacities of each.

p Not only the roads were rehabilitated, but also this bridge, much to the joy of the population.u A ceremony celebrates the completion and opening of the rehabilitated road from Mutendero to Karuruma.

Opening of the Mutendero–Karuruma Road in North KivuOn March 3, 2011 – after almost six years of work – the Provincial Minister of Agriculture of North Kivu, Nzanzu Kasivita, opened the rehabilitated road from Mutendero to Karuruma. The 39-km road goes near Kyavisale and Graben Kavusu and so opened up access to the 2,000-ha fertile Graben Valley. The rehabilitation of the road was launched in 2006 by VECO – Vredeseilanden and HELPAGE continued the work beginning in 2008. CATALIST spent over €500,000 on this HIMO activity. Apart from the new access to the Graben Valley, the road also opens up a route to Uganda. From now on, farmers will have easier access to markets and the labor used to transport agricultural products on the back or the head will be significantly reduced.

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p IFDC organized a fertilizer advocacy event in Kinshasa, DRC. The opening ceremony was led by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in DRC, Mr. Hubert Ali Ramazani (seated at microphone) and CATALIST chief of party Dr. Henk Breman (second from left).

Through a survey, HELPAGE learned that the money earned from HIMO work was used mainly to buy food, seeds and livestock. The money was also used to pay for children’s school fees and school materials. Through HIMO, impacted households were able to improve their food security and invest in education, agriculture and animal husbandry.

Objective Group 3: Improved Socio-Economic and Political ConditionsCATALIST promoted favorable socio-economic and political conditions at national and regional levels. These objectives were accomplished through more conducive national and regional agricultural policies and regional integration.

u A conference on rice intensification was held in the trans-frontier zone of the Ruzizi Plain. CATALIST deputy chief of party Bruce Smith is seated on the right.

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n National and Regional Agricultural PoliciesIn order to support and achieve the objectives in Objective Groups one and two, CATALIST worked closely with the national governments of the three countries to align with their national policies and to advocate for conditions that improved the environment for agricultural development. CATALIST worked with several partners to develop a regional agro-input market. It also conducted various studies to assess the viability of a free trade zone for rice in the Ruzizi Plain and to determine the feasibility of generating electricity to produce urea fertilizer to meet the region’s needs from the naturally occurring methane in Lake Kivu. Both studies concluded that those ideas were viable. CATALIST also advocated that cross-border taxes on agro-inputs in the region be removed. Removing these taxes would provide significant benefits to farmers, traders and processors.

CATALIST also worked at the regional level with regional organizations. Rwanda and Burundi are members of the East African Community (EAC) and have adopted free movement of in-country products. There are challenges related to implementation, as some countries still apply taxes to agricultural imports from EAC member countries. Rwanda and Burundi levy a 30 percent tariff on rice imports. The EAC is currently in negotiation with South Sudan and DRC to join. This creates opportunities for the future as these ‘newcomers’ represent a large share of the regional market.

p Several seminars were held to discuss opportunities for increased production of rice in the region. In June 2010, a seminar was held in Bujumbura to duscuss rice production in the Imbo Plain.


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The three CATALIST countries all signed the New Partnership for Africa’s Development’s (NEPAD’s)Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) process. During CATALIST, the level of awareness created within the DRC and Burundi governments, with the private sector and donors for agricultural intensification, resulted in an increased tendency towards local food production. Some stakeholders such as FAO, WFP, European Union (EU) and international NGOs have shown interest in specific food security projects.

Burundiu CATALIST facilitated the revival of the MoU between the agricultural ministries of Burundi and Rwanda so

that they could share experiences related to agricultural intensification, including promotion of fertilizer use through a voucher system.

u CATALIST collaborated with the Burundi MAL to develop a national fertilizer strategy. Both the ministry and donors were fully briefed on the benefits of fertilizer and ISFM and on the need to modify how relief aid is distributed in order to avoid market disruptions.

u Laws on the production and trade of seed and fertilizer were proposed by the Ministry. CATALIST supported the approval of both, and the Burundi Fertilizer Law was passed by Parliament. CATALIST participated in the dissemination of information related to the law and its implementation among stakeholders.

u Currently, the national government is the main actor rather than the facilitator in fertilizer importation and distribution. MAL is interested in adopting the ‘auction and vouchers approach’ for subsidizing fertilizers. CATALIST organized two exchange visits, one to Rwanda and another to Nigeria, so that ministerial staff could see how the voucher system works in those countries. CATALIST also had a consultant available to the Ministry to advise the staff on the introduction of the voucher system. A task force composed of staff from MAL, FAO, IFDC and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is working on a national strategy for the support of fertilizers.

u All agro-inputs and agricultural products are duty-free, and EAC taxes and laws have been in effect at the nation’s borders since July 1, 2009.

u In Burundi, more so than in Rwanda and DRC, projects and programs from other donor organizations requested CATALIST support for sustainable agricultural intensification. IFDC trained people from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC), PPCDR (an European

“Burundi has just put in place an investment plan for the

agricultural sector, an activity of different partners, including IFDC/CATALIST. Now we would like IFDC to continue working with us to implement this action plan that was a common activity.”

– H.E. Odette Kayitesi Minister of Agriculture and Livestock

Burundi

u Opposite: The BCS agro-input shop beside the town square in Bujumbura, Burundi.

q Members of a passion fruit cluster in front of their business center in Kayanza, Burundi.

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Union project) and CARITAS International. This out-scaling has contributed to better understanding of agricultural intensification, fertilizer recommendations and better analysis of the profitability of smallholder agriculture. Technical staff members of these organizations regularly requested CATALIST staff to support trainings and to share supporting materials. They are also providing better services to farmers.

DRC (Kivu Provinces)

u The Minister of Finance revoked the duty-free status for fertilizer imports on July 26, 2010. Following intense discussions, the duty-free status was reinstated on August 1 for three months. This allowed CATALIST-aided private importers to get a small stock of fertilizer into the country duty-free. CATALIST was able to get similar exemptions for fertilizers in 2011.

u Through the two universities located in Bukavu and local churches, CATALIST continued efforts to change the misconception that soils in DRC are fertile and fertilizers are toxic. The project worked with the universities to create an enabling environment for intensification.

p Convinced that if agro-input demand increases, supplies will follow, Germain Shamavu – through his organization, the Ecological Action Network – is helping to spread the message on ISFM by producing an illustrated cartoon series creatively explaining its use.

“We hope that the use of these techniques can be extended.

So far they have only reached a few areas, such as the Province of North Kivu, which is bigger than Rwanda and Burundi combined. So we are now holding meetings to include more CATALIST activities in our Congolese policy and make sure they are rolled out even to the remotest areas. Then every farmer can benefit from agricultural improvements, not just those living in the different territories where CATALIST is already operating.”

– H.E. Carly Nzanzu Kasivita Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries,

Livestock and Rural Development DRC

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u CATALIST supported provincial organizations advocating at the local and national levels that guaranteed access to land for smallholder farmers should be included in the Code Agricole, which was approved in December 2011. This code also mandates a tax exemption for agro-inputs.

u IFDC organized an advocacy and media event in Kinshasa to promote ISFM and fertilizer policies in the DRC. The event targeted an important high-level public sector and private sector audience for the promotion of facilitating policies in the DRC at the central level, whereas the action zone was limited to the eastern provinces of DRC. Similar events were also organized in: Katanga, Kasai Oriental, Bas-Congo and Bandundu provinces.

u CATALIST supported the government’s mechanization program. CATALIST helped identify the agricultural sectors that could best make use of tractors.

p University students were also involved in the CATALIST project. Students from the University of Goma learned about ISFM on a campus demonstration plot.

Code AgricoleAfter years of advocacy and negotiation, the Code Agricole, a new set of laws for the agricultural sector in DRC, was finally approved. During the process of promotion and advocacy for the Code Agricole, CATALIST supported farmers’ organizations with its expertise and financial support. This helped pay for the organization of grassroots-level workshops to develop the Code and for the organizations’ leaders to travel to Kinshasa to advocate for the promulgation of these laws. CATALIST enabled people from different provinces to meet and exchange information on the Code so that they could develop a consensus on regulations that would be favorable for all farmers. As the Code was being promulgated, there was consternation on the part of private landowners and investors, because access to land would soon favor smallholder farmers.


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Rwanda

u CATALIST collaborated closely with MINAGRI on issues pertaining to the efficiency and effectiveness of fertilizer markets. For example, an IFDC economist worked with the Ministry and project staff to develop the Rwanda National Fertilizer Strategy (RNFS) in 2007. The strategy was adopted soon after its submission to the GoR. The RNFS was developed around three objectives: the creation of enabling policy, regulatory and investment environments for fertilizer market development; the stimulation of effective demand for fertilizer among producers; and strengthening the capacity of the private sector to supply quality fertilizer at affordable prices.

u As an active member of the ‘rural cluster,’ CATALIST contributed to efforts to optimize MINAGRI policies, strategies and laws related to agricultural intensification (Crop Intensification Program [CIP], land use consolidation law, agricultural financing strategy, etc.). At MINAGRI’s request, CATALIST conducted an in-depth evaluation of CIP.

u CATALIST worked with MINAGRI on a policy document outlining the strategy for the government to exit from fertilizer procurement and transition it to the private sector. This document created the framework for the USAID PReFER project, which is guiding the privatization of the sector.

u CATALIST provided technical assistance to MINAGRI in setting up a fertilizer distribution auction and voucher system. The electronic auction system was introduced in 2009. The bar-coded voucher system was set up in 2010 and is functioning

p The staff of COVINAGRI, a small agro-dealer, participated in CATALIST’s agro-dealer training (Kigali, Rwanda).

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throughout Rwanda. As a result of the MINAGRI voucher program, approximately 200,000 maize and wheat farmers had access to fertilizer subsidies, and over 400 agro-dealers and stockists are now involved in the distribution of fertilizers and redemption of vouchers. The bar-coded voucher software program helped MINAGRI create a farmer database that supports transparency in the application of the subsidy.

u In Rwanda, MINAGRI decided to promote ISFM alongside fertilizer use. CATALIST assisted the Ministry in the training of 216 technicians to implement this practice.

p A woman carries a sack of Irish pototoes (Musanze, Northern Province, Rwanda).

t CATALIST benefiaries taking care of their cows (Nyagatare, Eastern Province, Rwanda).

“CATALIST has worked with the Government of Rwanda from the

beginning of the crop intensification program – designing the program, the access to fertilizers, fertilizer subsidies, voucher systems and more critically, setting up agro-dealer shops across the country to ensure that the fertilizer program becomes sustainable. We have also started an auction system, where fertilizers are sold to the people. In addition to all this expertise we were getting from CATALIST, IFDC designed a national fertilizer strategy for Rwanda. We had an idea of where we wanted to go, but we did not have the requisite expertise. CATALIST also initiated farm demonstrations to demonstrate the role of fertilizers in increasing productivity. All these activities combined created the boom that we are seeing in agricultural production.”

– H.E. Agnes Kalibata Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources

Rwanda


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p CEPGL technicians meet to discuss regional integration of agriculture in Goma, DRC.

n Regional IntegrationCATALIST organized and sponsored regional roundtables on fertilizer supply with participants from Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Participants included representatives of government, the private sector, farmers’ organizations and farmers.

u On December 17-18, 2007, CATALIST hosted the first regional roundtable in Kigali, Rwanda. The event brought together agro-input traders from the three focus countries as well as regional agro-suppliers (MEA, ARI). The event led Nairobi-based MEA to open a regional fertilizer branch in Kigali. Discussions centered on the following topics: opportunities and challenges for a regional fertilizer market and national fertilizer policies; the establishment of national commodity clusters; and creation of a regional federation.

u A second roundtable was held in Burundi in 2009. Opportunities for, and challenges to, a regional fertilizer market and national fertilizer policies were discussed. Discussions also focused on harmonizing policies regarding fertilizers imported at the regional level.

u The East African Fertilizer Association (EAFA) was officially launched on June 26, 2010, with support from CATALIST. EAFA’s first general assembly was held at the third regional fertilizer conference in Arusha in early 2011 with support from IFDC’s PReFER project. The East African Business Council offered support to establish an EAFA presence in Arusha.

CATALIST worked extensively with the East African Grain Council (EAGC). In April 2007, the project chief of party and national coordinator for Rwanda attended the EAGC meeting in Nairobi. Large grain traders, millers, input suppliers and government decision-makers met to discuss ways to improve regional integration of the grain markets in East Africa. Other topics discussed included the use of inventory credit system programs and the impact of biofuel development on consumer commodity prices. Contacts were also established with key players in the grain industry, which were leveraged later to benefit project participants.

CATALIST collaborated with USAID’s COMPETE project and EAGC to improve market information system (MIS) access. If successful, data can be easily shared and available to all users, and it will help link them to the evolving systems in Uganda and Tanzania. Ultimately, all five countries with common borders could be linked by a common MIS.

CATALIST’s Advisory Committee on Regional Collaboration and Trade met annually to exchange information regarding regional programs and policies. For example, at the committee’s third meeting, members were presented with information on issues and constraints associated with the development

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of the seed sector in the region. Limited access to quality seeds was the subject of a follow-up workshop conducted in Bujumbura in February 2010. The committee’s fourth meeting focused on regional fertilizer market development. The agenda included CATALIST-associated projects (STAR – harmonization of policy and COMESA’s COMRAP – agro-dealer training) and a presentation from the private sector producer of Minjingu fertilizer products.

The activity that incorporated most elements of the CATALIST regional strategy was the ‘Ruzizi without Borders’/‘Rusizi Sans Frontières’ (RWB/RsF) initiative, jointly developed with the Communauté Économique des Pays des Grands Lacs (CEPGL). The expectation was that, in addition to supporting rice intensification, this initiative would reinforce social cohesion between the three Ruzizi populations (Burundi, South Kivu and Rwanda) by allowing free movement of people, goods and investment and by creating synergies between

the producers and other stakeholders (MFIs, traders, processors). Today, rice intensification is practiced on 9,000 ha and several rice value chains have been initiated.

The process is still progressing and CEPGL developed the Programme Régional de Développement Intégré de la Rusizi (PREDIR Programme), which is a larger regional development program built on the RWB experience. An inventory study of the various organizations active in the Plain was completed by CATALIST and an MoU with CEPGL will be revised to take into consideration recent developments in regional integration based on sharing benefits of the Ruzizi Plain.

p CATALIST Chief of Party Henk Breman (right) signs an MoU with Gabriel Toyi from CEPGL on regional collaboration.q On December 17-18, 2007, CATALIST held its first regional roundtable on fertilizer supply in Kigali. The event brought

together input traders from Rwanda, Burundi and DRC, as well as regional suppliers.


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The Ruzizi River flows from Lake Kivu through the Ruzizi Plain to Lake Tanganyika, in Central Africa. The river delineates the border of Rwanda with the DRC, and along with Lake Tanganyika it forms the border between the DRC and Burundi. At the junction of the borders of the three countries, the Ruzizi Plain is a fertile, densely populated area where social and environmental stability can be increased through agricultural intensification and regional integration.

The MoU between CATALIST and CEPGL was developed and signed in order to promote agricultural intensification in the Ruzizi Plain. The collaboration between CEPGL and CATALIST promotes rice production through input market development (fertilizer, seeds, mechanization, etc.) and agricultural value chain creation. This joint initiative is also reinforcing social cohesion among the three Ruzizi populations by allowing free movement of people, goods and investment and creating synergies between producers and other actors involved in the rice value chain.

CATALIST and CEPGL launched the Ruzizi without Borders project in Bujumbura on July 21, 2010. In February 2011, a multinational steering committee comprised of representatives from governments, the private sector and a farmers’ organization was created. An action plan was developed and the activities were launched in the region. Today, rice intensification is practiced on 9,000 ha and rice value chains have been initiated.

There are approximately 3.5 million people living on or near the Plain. Over 330,000 mt of cereals, other foodstuffs and food aid are imported annually into the region. In addition, there are three breweries located in the Ruzizi Plain, which import around

10,000 mt of cereals annually (rice, sorghum and maize). CATALIST established a relationship between the rice producers in the plain and Bralima, in South Kivu, that now purchases its rice almost completely from local sources. There is also the P4P program of the World Food Programme, as well as other humanitarian organizations that purchase local food for distribution in post-conflict zones.

The Ruzizi without Borders program arose from the conviction that the Plain possesses the potential to produce sufficient quantities of grain for the surrounding area’s needs. Among the factors driving the belief that agricultural production can be significantly increased are: a total of 175,000 ha of cultivable lands among the three countries; two growing seasons; an average temperature of 24°C; 1,000 millimeters of rainfall per year; additional water available from rivers in the mountains overlooking the Plain; and almost 150,000 farmers who farm the Plain using extensive methods rather than intensive ones. In addition, there is the potential for increased access to agricultural inputs imported via Lake Tanganyika and the opportunity for increased agricultural mechanization because of the flat terrain. Therefore,

u Opposite: A farmer looks up from working in his rice paddy in the Ruzizi Plain.

u CATALIST conducted field trials to compare the performance of UDP to the broadcast method of urea fertilization.

Regional Development to Support Food Production: Ruzizi without Borders

SUCCESS STORY

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p The BRALIMA brewery in Bukavu, DRC, uses rice from the Ruzizi Plain in beer production.u Cooperative members are able to store their rice harvest at this COOSOPRODA warehouse until market prices

rise sufficiently so that a profit may be realized when their stock is sold.

conditions are optimal for the RWB program to better meet the food needs of the population living on and near the Plain and to contribute to poverty reduction.

Agricultural intensification will be easier if the Plain is treated as a single entity rather than as areas within three separate nations. Economies-of-scale are necessary for mechanization – for example, the market on the Plain can support only one assembly plant and one seed conditioning plant. In terms of market development, investors want the Plain to be treated as a common market. And, consumers require the agricultural output of the entire Plain to be easily available.

However, without a regional plan, production is very expensive. The cost of paddy rice production is among the highest in the world: Burundi – US $0.23/kg; Rwanda – $0.29/kg; and DRC – $0.39/kg. Elsewhere in the world, the cost of paddy rice production averages from $0.06/kg to $0.15/kg. In the ISFM demonstration plots, the costs are reduced to $0.28/kg in the DRC and those costs can be even lower if the ISFM techniques are optimized and the rice is produced on a larger scale.

For these reasons, it is necessary to intensify farming in this key area with the objective of selling surplus crops in locally developed markets. The Plain can benefit from a common, global vision rather than each nation developing its area separately. An appropriate legal and institutional framework would allow better planning that can benefit each nation and those who reside on the Plain. At this time, poor management leads too often to a lack of water, which can cripple the second

growing season (only about 40 percent of irrigated areas are properly exploited). The Ruzizi Plain should be treated as a single watershed for both environmental protection and infrastructure development.

The vision of a single, common area will encourage entrepreneurs to invest in tools that promote increased production such as fertilizers, seeds and mechanization. For this to happen, it is important to:

u Improve the institutional environment through the establishment of a free trade area where goods, people and services are free to move within the three countries.

u Remove or minimize transaction fees, particularly those on informal transactions.

u Use agro-inputs in order to intensify agriculture. For greater effectiveness, those agro-inputs should be used in combination with other ISFM practices.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop synergy among partners who operate in the Plain as well as develop partnerships between public and private donors to harmonize interventions. Treating the Ruzizi Plain as a single entity, donors could spread their projects throughout the region more effectively and efficiently. It is also important to ensure temporary market protection because, during the transition period, intensified agriculture may not be as effective or competitive as that of countries exporting to the region.

Regional collaboration is the fastest and most effective way to exploit the potential of the Ruzizi Plain. Such collaboration is itself a strong contributor to lasting peace in the region. The free movement of people, goods, services and capital, which can and should result from that collaboration, would make RWB the driving force behind economic and rural development. Done correctly, these efforts can create many of the necessary conditions for lasting peace in the CAGLR. The process is continuing to build and CEPGL developed the PREDIR Programme, which is a larger regional development program built on the RWB experience. n


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p Increasing yields and incomes of farmers contributes to a more stable and peaceful environment in the region.

Cross-Cutting Issuesn Conflict Transformation – Peace and StabilityCATALIST had as an overall project goal to help improve peace and environmental stability in the CAGLR through economic growth and market opportunity. Likewise, economic growth and market opportunity are dependent on the adoption of agricultural intensification technologies that promote increased productivity and improve the natural resource base.

The Great Lakes Region has been haunted by wars, genocide and massive movements of displaced people for decades, and the region is still considered unsafe. Issues of tribal and national origin, as well as illicit trade

in rare minerals and unresolved economic issues provide a complex environment that surpasses the capacity of any single organization or activity.

The environment in which CATALIST began operations changed over the duration of the project, and it became clear that insecurity in the region is a risk factor for agricultural activities and market development. Economic development must go hand-in-hand with the strengthening of legitimate institutions and governments to provide citizens security, justice and jobs to break cycles of violence. Agricultural development plays an important role, and value chain development and the resultant creation of jobs can be a driver of peace and stability.

CATALIST contributed to increased yields, increased incomes and market development. Therefore the project had an influence on development and stability in the region, but a direct impact cannot be demonstrated. Nevertheless, a study of the impact of agricultural intensification on peace in a limited region of the project’s action zone (Ruzizi, Bushumba-Kabare, Rutshuru and Masisi in South and North Kivu) showed some positive results in the most unstable parts of CATALIST’s intervention zone. Thanks to the increase in production that can be achieved through ISFM, CATALIST was able to attract idle people to engage in agriculture and to promote the return to a normal life for many ex-combatants.

“Now that we have discovered the advantages of cultivating

rice, there is not a single reason that could draw us back to armed groups.”

– Amani Raymond Ex-Combatant

Luberezi – South Kivu, DRC

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p LOFEPACO members take part in a sketch on how ISFM can help resolve land conflicts.

By promoting associations and cooperatives to farmers and by introducing the value chain approach, the project also promoted solidarity and dialogue between different groups. Through agricultural activities and the promotion of the agricultural sector, people from different tribes worked together and this increased comprehension and peaceful cohabitation.

Agricultural intensification generated greater yields and more money for many people. Farmers were able to produce more and even buy livestock; this improved relationships between farmers and stockbreeders, who were often previously in conflict in this densely populated area. Higher yields also decreased market prices, which made food more affordable for even the poorest of the poor.

Land conflict is local, but at the same time one of the most widespread conflicts in the region. Arable land is scarce and farmers often have no secure title to land. Households often only own 0.5-1.0 ha of land, so intensification can play an important role in reducing land conflicts. Agroforestry can bring solutions to stop erosion on slopes and make more land cultivable.

Through the HIMO component of the project and in collaboration with HELPAGE, CATALIST employed more than 43,000 of the most vulnerable people, demobilized combatants, widows, etc. during the project, giving them immediate employment and income.

The region also has a high incidence of sexual and gender-based violence. By mainstreaming gender throughout the program and reinforcing the access of women to land and agro-inputs, their socioeconomic situation was improved, which may protect them from further violence.


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Lukogo Shambale was 12 when he left his family farm in Luberezi to become a Mai Mai rebel. “My family had cows, but when armed rebels came to our area they stole everything and killed my uncle, and we saw we were not getting anywhere,” he explained. He saw no choice but to survive by becoming a rebel himself. His life as a rebel was difficult and dangerous, and he longed to return to life on a farm. “As a Mai Mai, you do what you are told. You sleep poorly, eat poorly and there is always the risk of being killed,” he recalled. After two of his closest friends were killed in battle, he searched for a safe way out.

When a demobilization program began in 2007, Shambale handed over his weapon for farming tools and tried to return to the life he remembered.

But his first year of farming on leased land produced disappointing results. Though he cared for his maize crop attentively, the harvest produced only a meager 100 to 150 kg. “We had so little money – life was a struggle for me, my wife and children. I didn’t have chickens, I didn’t have goats, I didn’t own land,” said Shambale. Determined to provide a better life for his family, he investigated a local farmers’ cooperative, COOSOPRODA. A COOSOPRODA member invited Shambale to a CATALIST training session on how fertilizers could improve crop yields. Although Shambale had never heard of fertilizers before then, today he is convinced that this knowledge turned his life around.

u Lukogo Shambale, a former combatant, descibes his joy at returning to normal life as a full-time farmer.q Shambale guides a two-wheeled tractor to prepare a rice field in South Kivu Province, DRC.

Former DRC Rebel Returns to Agriculture with Hope for a Peaceful Future

SUCCESS STORY

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Through that training, he was introduced to ISFM techniques of combining the right proportions and quantities of organic and chemical fertilizers to enrich the soil. Eager to put into practice what he had learned, Shambale got a loan from a butcher, spent $32 on seeds and fertilizer, and prepared his land for planting.

ISFM produced the results his trainers had described. His first harvest produced a record yield of 600 kg of maize. Because the market price for maize that year was high, he was able to earn a

profit of $180 – the most he had ever made in his life. Easily able to repay his loan, he then paid off the balance on another parcel of land, bought two goats and three chickens – and he still had $60 to invest in the next harvest. “This gave me joy and

allowed me to enter into different projects. I used the remaining money to lease an additional .30 ha of land,” Shambale said. His second harvest, also successful, brought smaller profits due to lower market prices but still enabled him to buy a cow – a much-revered asset in his community.

Shambale believes that offering a sustainable livelihood to former combatants and soldiers is vital to maintaining peace and security in the region. Having witnessed first-hand the violent conflict in South Kivu as well as the effectiveness of ISFM techniques and the possibility of a peaceful life, he explained, “Other demobilized combatants have observed what I have been able to accomplish and I ask them to join us so they can have the same success.”

COOSOPRODA also worked with IFDC facilitators to develop a warrantage, or inventory credit system. “When CATALIST leaves, we want to be able to continue to earn a livelihood,” Shambale explained. “Now I know we can increase our production, but the market is flooded when we all harvest and try to sell our crop at the same time. We need a reliable storage system so that our profits can be higher,” he said. “The inventory credit system gives us that opportunity for higher profits.” n


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n Capacity Building and Technology TransferIFDC has used communications and training to transfer information and technology to smallholder farmers for many years. The CATALIST project effectively used training and technology demonstrations across the region since its inception. The capacity building and technology transfer were based on ToT. CATALIST had direct involvement only in ToT, and following their training, trainers were equipped with training material and funds by IFDC to conduct trainings for end-users. Funds came from both IFDC and partner institutions (in the case of out-scaling). CATALIST held 32 ToT programs for over 700 participants. Priorities were focused in four areas – agricultural intensification, value chain development, input market development and association building. Most trainers participated in multiple training programs. These programs were critical because those who participated will train thousands of others across the Great Lakes Region.

Over the course of the project, more than 115,000 farmers and value chain members participated in CATALIST training activities, mostly at farmer field schools. Among the topics covered in these trainings were ISFM,

agro-dealer development, market development, business planning, facilitation skills and the inventory credit system. About one-third of the participants were women, helping meet CATALIST’s gender equity goal. The specific goal that women would constitute at least 20 percent of training participants was exceeded. As for ToT, the end-user trainings focused on agricultural intensification targeting smallholder farmers. The second category of beneficiaries of end-user trainings was agro-dealers. Additionally, different stakeholders were assisted by facilitators and BSSs in business and credit management.

IFDC conducted farmer field schools in conjunction with partners (producer organizations, farmer cooperatives and NGOs). Among the partners were: ASOFAR and CAPAD in Burundi; LOFEPACO, SYDIP,

p Technical leaflets on ISFM are distributed to farmers in Ngozi, Burundi.t A CATALIST agent shows farmers in the DRC how to recognize crop nutrient deficiencies.q Farmers learn ISFM techniques at a field school (Nyagatare, Eastern Province, Rwanda).


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p Zénon Irabahaye, owner of the workshop that manufactures moto-cultivators, explains how mechanization was introduced in the Ruzizi Plain for rice cultivation.

u Animal traction in use in Nyagatare, Eastern Province, Rwanda. Using animal traction generates the bonus of providing manure for use with ISFM techniques on the farmers’ fields.

ACODRI, SARCAF, APAV, CDI, FECOPS, ADI Kivu and COOCENKI in the DRC; and CARITAS, IMBARAGA and ARDI in Rwanda. These and other partners worked with CATALIST project staff to manage the demonstrations and numerous other activities in addition to the farmer field schools. During the five years of the project, over 50,000 farmers attended CATALIST-sponsored farmer field schools that focused on agricultural intensification techniques for a variety of crop value chains (rice, maize, wheat, Irish potatoes, cassava, beans, tomatoes, eggplant, etc.). Most of the 2,000 farmer field schools also demonstrated ISFM and its soil health and crop yield benefits.

Training was also conducted to introduce conservation agriculture linked to mechanization using tractors, two-wheeled tractors and animal traction. These intermediate mechanization technologies were introduced and promoted in each of the three project countries. Training in fabrication, assembly and repair of mechanized equipment and training in the use of power tillers for rice production were also conducted. Partnership agreements between CATALIST and cooperatives, associations and entrepreneurs to introduce mechanization were signed and mechanized equipment was distributed.

To make training more efficient, IFDC developed training materials to address the crucial lack of such materials in the region (particularly on the topic of agricultural intensification). In total, 114,500 extension leaflets on ISFM and integrated pest management were written and printed for farmers in Kinyarwanda, 56,500 in Kirundi and 63,000 in Swahili. Those leaflets were distributed to farmers with information about different crops: rice, wheat, maize, Irish potatoes, cassava, beans, soybeans, tomatoes, cabbage and peas. In addition, technical booklets on ISFM (a set of nine topics) for agronomists and extension officers were printed in Kinyarwanda (4,950), Kirundi (4,500), Swahili (4,500) and French (18,000).

Because CATALIST had a finite time frame, it was designed to operate as a facilitator of technology and information transfer. Its partners are mainly organizations that have more permanence and therefore, in the years to come, will help farmers sustain the progress introduced by CATALIST.

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n Knowledge Management and CommunicationsKnowledge management comprises a range of strategies and practices used in an organization to identify, create, represent, distribute and enable adoption of insights and experiences. Such insights and experiences comprise knowledge. CATALIST efforts were focused on the sharing of best agricultural practices, not only with farmers, but also with project partners, government institutions, universities and other local and international organizations. Knowledge management goes hand-in-hand with communications (offering the channels and tools to enable knowledge-sharing). Communications also serves other purposes and functions at three levels: inform people, convince people and exchange information.

In the three focus countries, radio remains the most important source of information for the population. Studies showed that 85 percent of the population in the region listens regularly to the radio, so of a total population of 31.3 million people in the project intervention area, 26.6 million people can be reached. Of these 26.6 million people reached through radio broadcasts, at least 85 percent are active in the agricultural sector, so 22.6 million farmers and value chain actors can be reached through radio broadcasts.

CATALIST collaborated with eight radio stations to broadcast different radio programs covering the entire project intervention area (North and South Kivu, Burundi and Rwanda). Radio programs were produced in the three local languages – Kinyarwanda, Kirundi and Kiswahili. The programming took various forms – ‘straight’ news, humorous skits, call-in question-and-answer sessions and interviews with subject matter experts and farmers ‘in the field.’ CATALIST topics included: ISFM; agricultural mechanization benefits; inventory credit systems; building/strengthening

p During a training session in the agricultural practices and value chain approaches IFDC promotes, journalists were brought on-farm to get first-hand, practical experience about key topics.

“A direct and positive outcome of the CATALIST/SEW

media trainings was the founding of the Association of Agricultural Journalists of the DRC,” stated Jean-Baptiste Musabyimana, FOPAC’s communications officer. CATALIST/SEW helped professionalize FOPAC’s publications and other communications channels. Then Musabyimana helped organize DRC-wide media training, patterned on the CATALIST/SEW trainings. Media from eight of DRC’s 11 provinces attended the training, which was sponsored by three Belgian NGOs.

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agricultural value chains; animal husbandry; DRC agricultural and land ownership laws; Rural Women’s Day; and World HIV/AIDS Day.

In addition to the radio programming, CATALIST and SEW staff held workshops for journalists. Multi-day workshops educated media on various agricultural and reforestation topics in a classroom setting, provided opportunities for the media to interview farmers and charcoal producers ‘in the field’ and arranged for the journalists to generate radio/ TV reports and newspaper and Internet articles.

CATALIST published numerous documents to spread information during its implementation: three reports at the beginning of the project; 13 studies and actions plans on market development; 13 studies and reference documents on ISFM; two manuals; 11 technical booklets for extension workers and lead farmers; extension leaflets for 10 crops; six progress reports for the three countries; six success stories from Burundi, DRC and Rwanda; and an overview of the successes of the clusters.

All documents were distributed to target groups including administrative institutions, NGOs, research and academic institutions, schools, CATALIST partners, farmers’ organizations and individuals. Soft copies of materials were printed on CDs to allow wide-scale distribution.

CATALIST staff also wrote a series of articles in Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Kiswahili, French and English as tools to further spread information about the technology and to reinforce the existing relationships between CATALIST and its partners. Those articles were published in Hinga Worora, Rwanda’s MINAGRI monthly magazine and on the CATALIST website for Burundi. For DRC, there were articles published in the monthly magazine Wakulima Amkeni, published by FOPAC, a federation of Congolese farmers.

p Jean Baptiste Musabyimana, FOPAC’s communications officer, interviews an agronomist on new agricultural techniques.


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CATALIST helped professionalize Wakulima Amkeni, as well as other communications channels used by the federation and other farmers’ organizations in the DRC. CATALIST also purchased communications equipment for FOPAC (computers, software, microphones and recording equipment). FOPAC is using the new equipment to communicate more effectively with its members. La Voix du Congo Profond – a nationwide reference magazine in the DRC – is an example of publications in which articles on CATALIST’s strategies and activities in the DRC were featured. CATALIST also produced newsletters and a series of success stories and case studies to document the project and its impact.

CATALIST produced an educational video on ISFM in March 2011 (“Our Land, Our Future”). A video providing an overview of the CATALIST project in the three countries was produced by the project and filmed late in 2011.

In addition to regular updates that were posted on the IFDC website, a project website was developed (www.ifdc-catalist.org) and regularly updated with articles about CATALIST and its partners.

Effective communications were especially important in the DRC, where many people believed their soils were very fertile, and that fertilizers are dangerous both for people and the soil. These beliefs are widespread in a country that uses less fertilizer than any other country in the world. While there is still much work to be done, at least some in the DRC now understand the benefits of fertilizer and modern agricultural production techniques.

Kinshasa Event

Agricultural development in DRC remains hindered by the lack of an enabling national policy environment. To address this, CATALIST organized the ‘Kinshasa Event’ in June 2011, in an attempt to help trigger changes at the national level. The event was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. The event was preceded and accompanied by a media campaign that included a two-day workshop, two exhibitions,

p In order to advocate at the national level in DRC, CATALIST organized a major event in Kinshasa to inform attendees about fertilizer use and ISFM. The Kinshasa event was attended by over 400 people.

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a fertilizer trial demonstration in the center of Kinshasa and a theater production on ISFM. The forum was attended by over 400 people. Participants came from all parts of the country and from different sectors – the public sector, producers’ organizations, entrepreneurs, researchers and donors.

The forum contributed to a change in attitude at different levels and people showed strong interest in agricultural intensification. The different actors now understand the links between a favorable institutional environment (the necessity of secured access to land and quality fertilizers and other inputs) and agricultural development. Different people at high levels showed their support for the initiative, including Patrick Houben, the delegate from the European Commission for Agriculture. Recommendations were made to the government, producer organizations, the private sector, IFDC and the donors to ensure food security for DRC in the future. After the Kinshasa event, CATALIST organized four similar events in Bukavu (South Kivu), Lubumbashi (Katanga), Matadi (Bas Congo) and Mbuji Mai (Kasai Oriental). The participation in the provincial forums was very high, with an average of 1,500 people from all sectors of society.

n Gender MainstreamingIn developing countries, most women work in agriculture, and women are involved in every stage of food production. Although men usually plow the fields and drive draft animals, women do most of the work

involved in sowing, weeding, fertilizing and harvesting the staple crops – such as rice, wheat and maize – which comprises more than 90 percent of the rural poor’s diet. Women’s contribution to secondary crops, such as legumes and vegetables, is even greater. Globally, women account for nearly half – 43 percent – of the world’s farmers, although their contribution to the agricultural labor force can be much higher – more than 60 percent in some countries. Women grow or raise much of the world’s food. They could be doing much more if they had access to needed resources and had a voice in the decisions that have an impact on their lives and the lives of their families.

FAO’s research shows that women farmers are 20-30 percent less productive than men, but not because they manage their farms less well, or work less hard. The main

reason for the performance gap between men and women is that the former have access to resources seldom available to women farmers – including land, financing, technology and agro-inputs, among other things. In addition, women do not share fairly in benefits such as training, information and knowledge.

But if women had the same access to those resources as men, they would produce 20-30 percent more food and their families would enjoy better health, nutrition and education. If women had equal access to agricultural resources and services, food security would be greatly improved and societies would grow richer – and not only in economic terms.

In order to address the problems women are facing, CATALIST conducted a study on the constraints of gender on the intensification of agriculture and the development of agribusiness clusters. In Burundi, women have less access to land and less control over the land, they are less educated and have less access to trainings,

“In the region, there are many households headed by women. These are predominantly

women who live without a partner because their husband has been displaced or killed. I think it is very important to approach those households and female farmers, to bring them beyond subsistence farming. From our policy point of view, we value CATALIST’s gender approach very much.”

– Fred Smiet First Secretary, Stability and Natural Resources

in the Great Lakes Region Embassy of the Netherlands

Rwanda


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new technologies, credit, agro-inputs and labor. Women also often sell their produce at a lower price at nearby markets, while men can go further and sell at a better price. In DRC, women are confronted by similar problems,

and often need permission from their husbands for anything they want to undertake. Women are not able to invest in land they do not control, and most of the time men manage the income from the harvest, making it impossible for women to buy their own land. In Rwanda efforts have been made by the GoR to promote gender equity which improved the overall situation of women. In 2011, a gender strategy was adopted in Rwanda to help overcome these issues.

To improve the status of women in agriculture, the CATALIST project used a combination of two approaches – particular activities or support for women and systematically integrating gender equity in all project activities. Of the beneficiaries

involved in the ISFM, cluster and value chain activities of the project, 47 percent were women. In training, a target was set of 20 percent participation by women, which was exceeded, reaching 33 percent.

CATALIST worked extensively with the women farmers’ cooperative LOFEPACO in North Kivu. LOFEPACO brings together 12 farmer organizations and over 20,000 women farmers. In the Kivu provinces of the DRC, women have traditionally grown crops for their family’s consumption, not to sell in the marketplace. However, working with CATALIST, members of LOFEPACO learned about agricultural intensification and selling their surplus crops to generate income. Women leaders were trained as trainers throughout the project so they could then train many more in turn.

Members of LOFEPACO also benefited from more financial information. A major constraint faced by many women farmers in North Kivu (and across Africa) is that they often are unable to access credit independently of their husbands. “Everything that is considered collateral – land, machinery and vehicles – belongs to the

“With ISFM, production on the same 0.2 ha of land that a

woman may have farmed previously only to feed her family can produce the equivalent of what an entire hectare of land could produce,” said Victorine Vadianirya, executive director of LOFEPACO. For example, rice production quadrupled over a two-year period (from 2.0mt/ha to 8.0 mt/ha).

p LOFEPACO members plant soybeans using ISFM techniques (North Kivu, DRC).

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husband, because only his name is on the title,” explained LOFEPACO’s Vadianirya. Most MFIs require husbands to co-sign loan applications. Recognizing women farmers’ need for credit, LOFEPACO formed the Women Farmers’ Agricultural Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO/CECAFEP). In addition, LOFEPACO’s leaders wanted to develop a culture of saving among members. Previously, women saved informally, hiding their money until they had enough to make a purchase or holding it for harder times. This insecure method left them vulnerable to thieves or sometimes even husbands with other ideas of how to spend the money.

LOFEPACO and SACCO staff emphasized to members that loans were not gifts, but had to be repaid or there would be no additional funds to lend. Six-month loans of $50 allowed women in North Kivu to trade and buy seeds and fertilizers. Despite the daily challenges facing these women, 86 percent of the loans were fully repaid.

With SACCO, LOFEPACO staff members are seeking to facilitate members’ ability to move up the value chain and earn more money. LOFEPACO introduced the inventory credit system to members who are rice growers in the Kyatenga area of North Kivu. Other LOFEPACO members are learning how to earn money and add needed protein to their diets by raising goats, poultry, rabbits and guinea pigs. Guided by a veterinarian, over 400 members of LOFEPACO are learning animal husbandry.

“Locals who had never shown interest in agriculture, such

as demobilized combatants and young men and women, quickly got involved as they saw the benefit of agricultural intensification,” explained Madeleine Masika, leader of the CATALIST/LOFEPACO farm group in Kyatenga.

p Goats are among the livestock that LOFEPACO breeds (Mandimba, North Kivu, DRC).


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The CATALIST and SEW projects used effective radio programs to disseminate information to smallholder farmers throughout Burundi, the DRC and Rwanda during 2010.

Many smallholder farmers in the CAGLR do not have access to the Internet, television and/or publications. However, most have access to radios and listen throughout the day. Therefore, the projects provided information to radio stations in the region, produced programming and worked with partner organizations to provide additional content. Partnering with CATALIST were MINAGRI

and Caritas in Rwanda and FOPAC in DRC’s North Kivu Province.

The programming varied in length – one-, two- and 30-minute segments. The segments were re-broadcast on stations numerous times during agricultural programming periods. In addition, segments were duplicated and re-broadcast on other stations throughout the region and placed on the CATALIST website. The programming took various forms – ‘straight’ news, humorous skits, call-in question-and-answer sessions and interviews with subject matter experts and farmers ‘in

the field.’

CATALIST topics included: ISFM; agricultural mechanization benefits; inventory credit systems; building/strengthening agricultural value chains; animal husbandry; DRC agricultural and land ownership laws; Rural Women’s Day; and World HIV/AIDS Day. SEW topics focused on: modern carbonization techniques and their environmental impact; entrepreneurial opportunities in charcoal, firewood and improved stoves; the charcoal and firewood value chains; reforestation and the importance of maintaining woodlots; and National Tree Day in the three countries.

In addition to the radio programming, CATALIST and SEW staff held media training workshops for journalists. These multi-day

Communicating with Smallholder FarmersCASE STUDY

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workshops educated media on various agricultural and reforestation topics in a classroom setting, provided opportunities for the media to interview farmers and charcoal producers ‘in the field’ and arranged for teams of journalists to generate radio and TV reports and newspaper and Internet articles.

“A direct and positive outcome of the CATALIST/SEW media trainings was the founding of the Association of Agricultural Journalists of the DRC,” stated Jean-Baptiste Musabyimana, FOPAC’s communications officer. CATALIST/SEW helped professionalize FOPAC’s publications and other communications channels. Then Musabyimana helped organize a DRC-wide media training, patterned on the CATALIST/SEW trainings. Media from eight of DRC’s 11 provinces attended the training, which was sponsored by three Belgian NGOs. n

t CATALIST’s radio programming included interviews with women farmers.

p Filming a training video about CATALIST/SEW’s improved process for making charcoal, which results in more charcoal produced per cubic meter of wood.

“Agriculture is the principal source of income for most of the population in the DRC’s North Kivu Province, and if farmers continue with subsistence farming, they will always be poor,” declared Daniel Muhindo Bunambo, coordinator of the Central Agricultural Cooperative of North Kivu (COOCENKI).

COOCENKI was founded in 1980 because farmers sought to develop greater access to markets, particularly in the larger towns of Goma and Butembo. COOCENKI includes 25 cooperatives working in three districts of North Kivu – Rutshuru, Lubero and Beni.

To increase their crop yields, COOCENKI members had to improve the fertility of their soils. Most farmers in North Kivu have small plots of land; nonetheless, since the introduction of ISFM technology in 2007, those farmers using it have been able to dramatically increase their production. With the first ISFM successes in maize and potato production, other COOCENKI members adopted the technology. The farmers learned which types and quantities of fertilizers were needed for each crop, as well as techniques such as the use of organic matter, weeding and other appropriate technologies. Using ISFM and other best practices, they are feeding their families while also increasing their incomes through the sale of surplus crops.

Agricultural intensification increases productivity, and intensification takes many forms, including irrigation and using animals or machinery in place of human labor. In addition to introducing ISFM to COOCENKI members, “CATALIST taught us modern farming techniques,” Bunambo said. “Before learning about ISFM, we only had vague notions about using inputs, and we didn’t know their benefits or how to use them effectively.”

Before agricultural intensification techniques were introduced for use on maize crops, the average farmer produced about 1.2 mt/ha. After ISFM was adopted in Kalunguta, the maize yield

increased to between 5.6 and 6.7 mt/ha. Perhaps more importantly, because of intensification, the cost of production fell from $130/mt to $85/mt. Consequently, in Beni district, nearly 1,000 farmers (about half of whom are women) in the villages of Kalunguta, Kabasha and Maboya participated in maize demonstration plot activities during the 2010-A crop season. n

COOCENKi in North KivuCASE STUDY

q Kavugho Kisonia Desanges, COOCENKI staff in charge of gender issues in Butembo district, checks the quality of maize brought to COOCENKI’s new milling facility by area farmers.

u Kahindo Siherya and Kavugho Muvunga from the Maboya section of a local cooperative proudly show the quality of maize grown using ISFM technology.

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The Ruzizi River flows from Lake Kivu through the Ruzizi Plain to Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa. The river delineates the southern border of Rwanda with the DRC, and along with Lake Tanganyika it forms the border between the DRC and Burundi. At the junction of the borders of the three countries lies the fertile Ruzizi Plain, a densely populated area where social and environmental stability can be increased through agricultural intensification and regional integration.

The MoU between CATALIST and CEPGL was developed and signed in order to promote agricultural intensification in the Ruzizi Plain. More than 175,000 ha are shared by the three countries and offer many opportunities for rice production. The collaboration between CEPGL and CATALIST promotes rice production through input market development (fertilizer, seeds, mechanization, etc.) and agricultural value chain creation.

This joint initiative is also reinforcing social cohesion among the three Ruzizi populations by allowing free movement of people, goods and investment and creating synergies between producers and other actors involved in the rice value chain.

CATALIST and CEPGL launched the Ruzizi Without Borders (RWB or Rusizi sans Frontières – RsF) project in Bujumbura on July 21, 2010. In February 2011, a multinational steering committee comprised of representatives from governments, the private sector and farmers’ organizations was created. An action plan was developed and activities are underway.

Market opportunities

There are approximately 3.5 million people living on or near the Plain. Over 330,000 mt of cereals, other foodstuffs and food aid are imported annually into the region. In addition, there are three breweries located in the Ruzizi Plain, which import around 10,000 mt of cereals annually (rice, sorghum and maize). There is also the Purchase for Progress (P4P) program of the World Food Programme, as well as other humanitarian organizations that purchase local foodstuffs for distribution in post-conflict zones.

The Ruzizi Without Borders program arose from the conviction that the Plain possesses the potential to produce sufficient quantities of grain for the area’s needs. Positive factors that can increase local agricultural production include: 175,000 ha of cultivable lands among the three countries; two

The Ruzizi Without Borders InitiativeCASE STUDY

p In addition to rice, many crops are grown on the Ruzizi Plain, including cassava, groundnuts, maize, onions and others.

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growing seasons; an average temperature of 24°C; 1,000 millimeters of rainfall per year; additional water available from rivers in the mountains overlooking the Plain; and almost 150,000 farmers who farm the Plain using extensive methods rather than intensive ones. In addition, there is the potential for increased access to agricultural inputs imported via Lake Tanganyika, and the opportunity for increased agricultural mechanization because of the flat terrain. Therefore, conditions are optimal for the RWB program to better meet the food needs of the population living on and near the Plain and to contribute to poverty reduction.

Why isn’t this potential better developed?

It is clear that producing more food locally would save money spent by the three national governments and foreign donors on food importation and would help decrease or even end food aid (and perhaps aid in general). Why then haven’t these opportunities been fully exploited? Reasons include: regional instability; lack of agricultural competitiveness; emergency aid (which slows the development of agro-input and crop markets); the absence of incentives to encourage farmers to invest in their lands; and the absence of incentives to encourage the private sector to invest in market development and industrial processing. These are all bottlenecks to the sustainable development of the Plain.

Possible solutions

Agricultural intensification will be easier if the Plain is treated as a single entity rather than as areas within three separate nations. Economies-of-scale are necessary for mechanization – the market on the Plain can support only one agricultural machinery shop and one seed conditioning plant. In terms of market development, investors require the Plain be treated as a common market. And, consumers require the agricultural output of the entire Plain to be easily available.

Action is occurring. A value chain financing strategy for the section of the Ruzizi Plain in DRC’s South Kivu Province was developed in close collaboration with MECRECO, an MFI and private sector entrepreneur involved in informal financing. The financing will support CRONGD, the superfacilitator for intensified rice production in South Kivu. MECRECO also financed the importation of 45 mt of fertilizers

through a contract with Yara, a global fertilizer manufacturer.

However, without a regional plan, production is very expensive because:

u There is intense pressure on cultivable plots, and there are too many farmers on very small plots – 80 percent of the 65,000 rice growers rent their plots, and the average size of farms varies between 0.18 ha (Rwanda) and 0.59 ha (DRC).

u Rent on these plots is very expensive – as much as 15 percent of production costs in Burundi, 23 percent in DRC and 32 percent in Rwanda.

u Inputs are also very expensive; in addition, seeds are degenerated and currently there are no qualified professionals in seed production and marketing.

u Labor is also very expensive – as much as 51 percent of production costs in Burundi, 62 percent in Rwanda and up to 70 percent in DRC. u ‘Traditional’ agricultural loans have monthly interest rates ranging from 7 percent (Burundi) to 25 percent (South Kivu, DRC).

u Rice is still produced using the extensive method. Yields per ha per season range between 2.0 mt/ha (South Kivu, DRC) and 6.6 mt/ha (Rwanda); elsewhere in the world, yields range from 12 to 15 mt/ha.

u Use of fertilizers is still low (exceptionally low in the DRC).

u Post-harvest activities are still poorly implemented. The amount of rice wasted during processing is over 30 percent; byproducts are wasted; there is little recycling of harvest residue for use as organic fertilizer; and post-harvest storage losses are as high as 25 percent of total production.

Consequently, the cost of paddy rice production is among the highest in the world: Burundi $0.23/kg; Rwanda $0.29/kg; and DRC $0.39/kg. Elsewhere in the world, the cost of paddy rice production averages from $0.06/kg to $0.15/kg.


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For these reasons, it is necessary to intensify farming in this key area, with the objective of selling surplus crops in locally developed markets. The Plain can benefit from a common, global vision rather than each nation developing its area separately. An appropriate legal and institutional framework would allow better planning that can benefit each nation and those who reside on the Plain.

At this time, poor management leads too often to a lack of water, which can cripple the second growing season (only about 40 percent of irrigated

areas are properly exploited). The Ruzizi Plain should be treated as a single watershed for both environmental protection and infrastructure development.

The vision of a single, common area will encourage entrepreneurs to invest in tools that promote increased production such as fertilizers, seeds and mechanization. For this to happen, it is important to:

u Improve the institutional environment through the establishment of a free trade area where goods, people and services are free to move within the three countries.

u Remove or minimize transaction fees, especially those on informal transactions.

u Use agro-inputs in order to intensify agriculture. For greater effectiveness, those agro-inputs should be used only in the context of ISFM.

It is therefore necessary to develop synergy among partners who operate in the Plain as well as develop partnerships between public and private donors to harmonize interventions. Treating the Ruzizi Plain as a single entity, donors could spread their projects throughout the region more effectively and efficiently. It is also important to ensure temporary market protection because, during the transition period, intensified agriculture may not be as effective or competitive as that of countries exporting to the region.

Regional collaboration is the fastest and most effective way to exploit the potential of the Ruzizi Plain. Such collaboration is itself a strong contributor to lasting peace in the region. The free movement of people, goods, services and capital, which can and should result from that collaboration, would make RWB the driving force behind economic and rural development. Done correctly, these efforts can create many of the necessary conditions for lasting peace in the CAGLR. n

p Inside a rice storage facility in the Ruzizi Plain, DRC. Pictured is farmer Lukogo Shambale, a former combatant now participating in an inventory credit system established by COOSOPRODO in partnership with CATALIST.

u A view of the Ruzizi Plain in March 2009.

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Dr. Ben Knapen, Dutch State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, visited two IFDC-supported sites in the Great Lakes Region during a fact-finding mission to Africa in the spring of 2011. With support from the CATALIST project and other partners, those working at these two sites are steadily improving their livelihoods.

Accompanied by Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Agnes Kalibata (who is also a member of the IFDC Board of Directors), Knapen visited the IMBARAGA Farmers’ Federation, a CATALIST partner organization in the Musanze district of Rwanda. Knapen was also accompanied by a delegation from The Hague; the Dutch Ambassador to Rwanda, Frans Makken; and a team from the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands in Rwanda.

In her introductory speech, Minister Kalibata described the Government of Rwanda’s policies and progress to date in transforming agriculture in the country. She explained that the improved performance of the agricultural sector is primarily attributable to the government’s implementation of its Green Revolution program.

IMBARAGA members told the delegation about what they have accomplished since 2007, when they began partnering with and receiving technical support from CATALIST and MINAGRI. Joseph Gafaranga, IMBARAGA’s executive secretary in Rwanda’s Northern Province, explained that IMBARAGA’s ISFM field tests began with just three farmers.

Previously, most IMBARAGA farmers raised beans, sorghum and maize on their 30-are plots (100 ares = 1 ha). These farmers also used traditional seed varieties and generated very low yields; MINAGRI and CATALIST helped them enhance their skills and showed them how to calculate profitability. They estimate that average

Dutch State Secretary of Foreign Affairs Visits CATALIST Project Sites in Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo

CASE STUDY

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production of maize was 700 kg/ha (1,000 kg = 1 mt). With MINAGRI and CATALIST assistance, average maize production is 5 mt/ha and potatoes average 25 mt/ha.

According to Gafaranga, the reasons such high yields have been achieved are collaboration among stakeholders, the use of fertilizers and improved seeds and good farming practices such as disease control, crop rotation, etc. Collaboration is taking place among: IMBARAGA; MINAGRI (through its Crop Intensification Program, Land Use Consolidation Policy and subsidized fertilizers and seed program); Rwanda’s Institute of Agricultural Sciences (or ISAR, which is facilitating access to improved seeds, thereby reducing seed imports in the area by one-third); and IFDC (technical support, training and technology transfer).

Marketing the increased crop production is not an issue for IMBARAGA members. For example, the Mukamira maize processing plant is an outlet for crop surpluses that result from the use of ISFM. Seeds produced by IMBARAGA’s seed multipliers are sold to the Rwanda Agricultural Development Agency and to the FAO.

In terms of impact, the increase in productivity has enabled farmers to build modern houses, pay for health insurance and buy land and cattle. Gafaranga concluded by expressing gratitude on behalf of federation members to the Government of the Netherlands for funding CATALIST, which has enabled them to improve their livelihoods and develop the federation for mutual benefit. He also used the opportunity to thank Minister Kalibata, MINAGRI, ISAR and the Musanze District government.

When Minister Kalibata asked IMBARAGA’s members what achievements they wanted to share with Minister Knapen and his delegation, Pétronille Bemeriki eagerly talked about how ISFM has spread from three IMBARAGA farmers in 2007 to over 2,000 farmers cultivating 1,200 ha. “Profits from selling our harvests allow us to pay our children’s school fees,” she said. Bemeriki explained how membership in IMBARAGA is making it possible for members to have electricity in their homes.

Minister Knapen commended the “impressive collaboration between MINAGRI, IMBARAGA and CATALIST.” He also commented on how impressive

t Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, and Dutch State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ben Knapen, tour CATALIST sites in Rwanda.

p A view of IMBARAGA maize fields with dormant volcanoes in the background.


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it is that such results were achieved within just three to four years. “My congratulations on your efforts and impressive results. I urge you to maintain your collaboration, continue to improve crop yields and build your agricultural value chains,” Knapen concluded.

Knapen also visited the Sake-Kitshanga road in North Kivu Province, DRC. Nearly 60 kilometers of the road were reconstructed by CATALIST partner Helpage as part of a program to make agricultural markets more accessible.

During his visit, Knapen learned that the road project created 273,070 man-days of employment using Helpage’s labor-intensive approach.

“This project exemplifies the progress that CATALIST is making in the DRC and the region,” Knapen commented. “Rehabilitating this road is contributing to the welfare of local residents and improving opportunities for commerce in the area.”

Samson Chirhuza, CATALIST’s DRC national coordinator, provided a project overview, explaining its activities in the Kivu provinces, which include agricultural intensification, value chain development and road rehabilitation. Chirhuza explained that CATALIST activities related to value chain development bring together all stakeholders, with the goal to build stronger, competitive value chains.

Sandra Kavira, a CATALIST agronomist in South Kivu Province, explained that the project’s promotion of ISFM contributes to strengthening peace. “Before the project, different ethnic groups in the country were in conflict,” Kavira stated. “Today, with the surplus of production, men and women come together to decide how to best profit from their large harvests. They organize inventory credit systems, seek markets for excess produce, etc. They are too busy to fight and are, to some extent, ‘forced’ to collaborate,” explained Kavira. “Many farmers are convinced that ISFM contributes to peace in the area. The population as a whole has a common objective and, for this reason, no longer lives in conflict.”

ISFM has also contributed to solving gender issues in the Kivu provinces. Kavira explained how ISFM brought stability to many marriages. “Most women did not have a say in their households and in the community before ISFM. Today, they make valuable contributions to increasing their households’ revenues. Women generally produce more than men.”

She further explained that women invest more time and effort and are more motivated than men. “Men are busy in several activities and are not as focused as the women are. It is only after seeing the kind of profit made by women that men follow. They only give full attention to agriculture when they realize it can be a good, stable source of income.” n

p Knapen (left) speaks with Samson Chirhuza, CATALIST national coordinator in DRC.

u Knapen visits CATALIST field activites in DRC.

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Project PartnersThe CATALIST project’s facilitative role was predominant over its role as a direct actor, and the choice of partners was an important element in the implementation process. CATALIST worked with partners at all levels and on nearly all activities, from grassroots organizations to national governments. Partners were selected according to different criteria. The partners included:

Government Partners: CATALIST worked closely with the governments of each of the three countries, and more specifically with the Ministries of Agriculture.

u Burundi – Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL)

u DRC – Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock (MAFL)

u Rwanda – Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI)

Regional Collaborators: To implement its regional activities, the project collaborated with institutions and organizations that shared similar or overlapping goals. This included building farmers’ and traders’ capacities to advocate for policy reforms at the regional level on key issues. Contacts and collaboration were established with:

u Organizations focusing on economic collaboration (NEPAD, EAC, COMESA, UNECA and CEPGL).

u Organizations encouraging farmers to have a voice and impact at the regional level (Agriterra, EAFF, VECO, SNV, ACDI/VOCA, CRS, etc.).

u Organizations increasing regional collaboration to improve management of natural resources (the Nile Basin Initiatives and its NELSAP, the Victoria Basin Initiative and WWF- and GEF-supported projects).

u UN organizations playing a key role in agricultural development and food aid (FAO, IFAD and WFP) and in environmental management (UNEP).

u Regional or global private sector organizations (International Fertilizer Industry Association and CropLife) and public-private structures (EAGC).

u Credit institutions at the regional level (Rabobank and Terrafina).

u Donors and their projects (USAID, Belgium, Denmark, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the UK, AGRA, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation).

u Research and development organizations (FARA, WUR, ASARECA, SSA-CP and its Kivu Learning Plot, CIALCA and other CGIAR institutes).

t A CATALIST agronomist prepares a field in order to plant in even rows (Nyagatare, Eastern Province, Rwanda).

“CATALIST does what IFDC does best – fertilizer

programs – getting them moving, based on farmers instead of one or another program. This is something critical and something we would like to see continue in the future, of course working with us. We have seen the potential in the collaboration to streamline the outlet markets for production.”

– H.E. Agnes Kalibata Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources

Rwanda


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NGOs and sub-contractors: CATALIST implemented its field activities through sub-contracts with NGOs. NGOs were selected through a competitive bidding process.

Farmer Organizations: CATALIST worked with agricultural cooperatives that focus on priority crops and were located in the project’s geographic regions and whose membership is represented among farmer groups.

Private Sector: The project worked with agro-dealers (fertilizer, seeds, crop protection products and other external inputs) and with output traders, enterprises, chambers of commerce and financial institutions.

Table 4. Overview of Project Partners

Partners Burundi DRC Rwanda

Sub-contractor - HELPAGE 1 1 1

Value chain facilitators 8 11 19

Small grants 11 11 6

Agro-dealers 149 80 934

Other private sector, including farmer and producer cooperatives and traders 386 200 530

Research and educational institutions 10 7 3

Governmental and international organizations 7 20 12

Regional partners 28

Partners with a CATALIST Contract Partners in Burundi: AGRICOM, ASOFAR, CAPAD, CED CARITAS BURUNDI, COPED, ASBL TWITEZIMBERE, UCODE asbl, TWITEZIMBERE, IDAEC, CTAGL, Cooperative GIRUMWETE DUKORE MUTIMBUZI, Cooperative KABAMBA, CAPAD Superfacilitation.

p Rice fields in the Ruzizi Plain.

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Partners in DRC: ACODRI, CDI, FECOPS, PADA, SARCAF, UEFA, APAV, SYDIP, LOFEPACO, CRONGD, UEA&UCB, FOPAC, GAB, CDC Kiringye, RADIO MAENDELEO, APAV, COOCENKI, COOSOPRODA, NZIGO BYAMUNGU, BAHUZIBWA, RUBOTA.

Partners in Rwanda: UGAMA CSC, ADRI asbl, CARITAS RWANDA, COCOF asbl, CODEPRAG, DUHAMIC-ADRI, IABM, PANDAMU, SECTEUR RUSIGA, RFDTC-UMUHUZA, UNICOPAGI, URUGAGA IMBARAGA, BAIR, INGABO, RDO, FUCORIRWA, Cooperative ABAKUMBURWA, CODEPRAG.

p The Secretary of State of the Netherlands, Ben Knapen, visited the CATALIST project in DRC and spoke with CATALIST staff and beneficiaries.

p Top: Sign marking an ISFM (GIFS in French) site. IFDC partnered with many different organizations such as SARCAF and CIALCA to implement the CATALIST project.


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Project PublicationsCATALIST produced a number of documents to capitalize on the information collected during the project. Those documents were shared among project partners and project stakeholders as well as other national and international organizations to spread the information and increase the collective knowledge base. Digital versions of the documents can be downloaded from the CATALIST website.

(The language in which the documents are available is specified [EN/FR].)

n Starting the Projectu Technical Proposal, CATALIST Inception Report, Vol . I, October 2007 (EN)

The inception report provides an account of the key issues prevailing in the Great Lakes Region and demonstrates how IFDC and HELPAGE, as facilitators, propose to address these issues.

u Project Knowledge Base: The Issues – CATALIST Inception Report, Vol . II, April 2007 (EN) This report gives an overview of the knowledge base the project acquired during its inception year. The report focuses on issues with direct implications for the design of the project, providing the justification for its choice of activities, partners, intervention areas and implementation mechanisms.

u Annexes to the CATALIST Inception Report, Vol . III; October 2007 (EN) The annexes cover the following topics: work plan, implementation team, urgent preparatory studies commissioned during the inception year, summary of workshops and roundtable discussions, stakeholders consulted during the inception year.

p Rwanda Minister of Agriculture Agnes Kalibata and Dutch Secretary of State Ben Knapen greet a delegation welcoming them to a site showcasing CATALIST’s work in Rwanda.

u CATALIST chief of party Henk Breman accompanied a delegation to visit an ISFM demonstration plot, which was arranged for participants in Kinshasa.

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n Project Resultsu Activities overview CATALIST Burundi 2006-2009, October 2009 (FR)

Overview of activities in Burundi during the period.

u Activities overview CATALIST DRC 2006-2009, October 2009 (FR) Overview of the activities in DRC during the period.

u Activities overview CATALIST Rwanda 2006-2009, October 2009 (EN) Overview of the activities in Rwanda during the period.

u Synthesis Burundi 2006-2011, June 2011 (FR) Overview of the activities in Burundi during the period.

u Synthesis DRC 2006-20011, June 2011 (FR) Overview of the activities in DRC during the period.

u Synthesis Rwanda 2006-2011, June 2011 (EN) Overview of the activities in Rwanda during the period.

u CATALIST Progress Reports 1-9 (EN) CATALIST produced a progress report every six months, with detailed information on activities.

u CATALIST Final Report, March 2012 (EN) The final report gives an overview of the activities, the results and the impact of the CATALIST project in the three countries.

n Technical PublicationsAgricultural Intensification

u Feed, animal and food production, land and fertilizer requirements of smallholder farmers in the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa, April 2010 (EN) A common goal in the Great Lakes Region is ‘one family one cow.’ However, this raises the question: “What is the minimum area required for a cow to forage while also producing food for the household?” An overview is given of factors determining the potential and production of a cow and her calf.

u The restraints of gender on the intensification of agriculture and the development of agricultural value chains, September 2010 (FR) In 2010, a survey measured the impact of gender issues on agricultural intensification and the development of agricultural value chains in the project’s action zone.

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u Intermediary mechanization in Rwanda, DRC and Burundi – Identification report Vols . I & II, January 2010 (FR) The identification mission studied different systems of intermediate mechanization, with a focus on adapted technologies that have already proven their impact in similar regions in Africa. Any system adopted needs to be simple and sustainable. In the second volume, an action plan is developed, describing the details of the training activities and tests of the materials.

u Action plan for intermediary intensification in Rwanda, Burundi and DRC, Vol . III, September 2010 (FR) After the identification and the elaboration of the action plan, CATALIST contracted ACA BV to help organize the trainings and implement the tests. The different activities implemented by ACA BV are detailed in this report.

u The profitability of mechanization, February 2012 (FR) This study gives an overview of the comparison between manual work, animal labor, moto-tractor and tractor. Each technique is described in detail to give information on materials needed, the efficacy and time consumed, costs and the manpower needed. The study shows how agricultural development leads to mechanization and not the other way around.

u Is food security in DRC necessary and possible? July 2011 (FR) This document was published in Kinshasa at an advocacy event on agricultural intensification and fertilizers in the DRC. It shows how a change in national perspective is needed before DRC can adopt the use of inorganic fertilizers and ISFM techniques.

u How to fix the formulas and the doses of fertilizer? First reference document on ISFM, November 2010 (FR) Reference document for agronomists and technicians to deepen their knowledge about the dosage of fertilizers in the ISFM framework.

u The profitability of fertilizers . Second reference document on ISFM, November 2010 (FR) Reference document that provides detailed information on the calculation of the profitability of fertilizer and other useful recommendations.

u ISFM in periods of drought . Third reference document on ISFM, February 2011 (FR) This document tries to give answers to the question “When is irrigation necessary and when is ISFM a good alternative?”

u How to ensure food security in the DRC? Agroforestry and fertilizers, February 2012 (FR) This document shows how DRC can reach food security by using inorganic fertilizers and agroforestry. It recommends the promotion of ISFM and an enabling political environment that makes broad ISFM application possible and reinforces land tenure security.

u Assessment report of the adoption of ISFM in Burundi, Rwanda and DRC, February 2012 (EN) This is a survey whose findings suggest that CATALIST was successful in the adoption and use of fertilizers in the region. Today, the percentage of farmers using both organic and inorganic fertilizers varies from 42 percent to 60 percent, while in 2006, the percentage of farmers using both organic and inorganic fertilizers was near zero in most areas. Despite disparities between countries, the use of improved seeds increased significantly, reaching 20 percent in Burundi, 42 percent in South Kivu, 56 percent in Rwanda and 62 percent in North Kivu.

u Guide to agroforestry . Fourth reference document on ISFM, October 2010 (FR) The guide explains the importance of trees to the intensification of agriculture, the different agroforestry techniques and the integration of agroforestry in intensification tests.

u Solving agricultural issues related to soil acidity in Central Africa’s Great Lakes Region, October 2008, (EN/FR) This document defines the CATALIST approach to improve acidic soils and to prevent increased acidification of soils when agriculture is intensified.

u And if the solution were intensification of agriculture?, October 2011 (FR) Nine articles on the facilitation of intensification of rice in the Ruzizi Plain in South Kivu by CRONGD South Kivu from June 2010 until October 2011.

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Market Developmentu An action plan for developing agricultural

input markets in Burundi, April 2007 (FR) Synthesis and analysis of information gathered during an assessment of the agricultural intensification and market development opportunities in Burundi in November and December 2006.

u Finance the acquisition of agro-inputs and the marketing of the production in Burundi, April 2008 (FR) To better adapt the products from financial institutions to the needs of producers’ organizations and those of the distributors, this guide offers an analysis of the demand for agro-inputs and the commercialization of credit services. The guide also gives an overview of the available finance mechanisms and the conditions to access them in Burundi.

u An action plan for developing agricultural input markets in Rwanda, April 2007 (EN) An assessment done in Rwanda in December 2006 on agricultural and market development opportunities, this study also provides a draft of a needs-based and practical action plan for the fertilizer and seed markets.

u Auction and voucher guide for fertilizer and seed, April 2010 (EN) The guide explains how to increase productivity and income for farmers through the use of ‘smart’ fertilizer and seed subsidies by governments. It focuses on one of the most promising voucher programs, in which farmers receive government-subsidized input vouchers, which are redeemed at private sector owned agro-input supply outlets.

u Roadmap for the CATALIST project for strengthening agricultural input markets in Rwanda, April 2007 (EN) At the onset of CATALIST, a team was sent to Rwanda to provide the staff with in-depth insight into agricultural intensification and market development opportunities. The team also drafted a needs-based and practical action plan for the development of fertilizer and seed markets.

u Procedures manual for the analysis of the financial profitability and the evaluation of the test on inputs in a rural environment, July 2007 (FR) The document is a compendium of data collection sheets and a description of the procedures applied in the analysis of profitability and financial evaluation of agronomic trials in actual fields. It was developed to help strengthen the various initiatives aimed at intensifying agricultural commodity crops.

u Evaluation of agricultural sectors and their opportunities for the CATALIST project in Burundi, April 2007 (FR) This evaluation of the agricultural sectors aimed at the limitation of the spreading of the activities and the facilitation of the development of the capacities within the different sectors and to identify the intervention zones per country.

u Evaluation of agricultural sectors and their opportunities for the CATALIST project in Rwanda, February 2007 (FR) This evaluation of the agricultural sectors aimed at the limitation of the spreading of the activities and the facilitation of the development of the capacities within the different sectors and to identify the intervention zones per country.

u Output market assessment for Northwest Tanzania, May 2008 (EN) The assessment identified food crops/commodities that offer the most promising opportunities for achieving rapid pro-poor agricultural growth in western Tanzania based on economic and social considerations for CATALIST to concentrate its efforts on output market and value chain development.

u Output market assessment for Uganda, September 2007 (EN) The output markets assessment study for Uganda was undertaken in August 2007 to identify focused agricultural value chains and locations in southwest Uganda for the purpose of designing interventions and identifying suitable partners for CATALIST.


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u Visit to the Office du Niger in Mali, December 2010 (FR) Report of the visit to the Office du Niger by a Burundian delegation to exchange information and experiences relating to the production and commercialization of irrigated rice. Recommendations were made to help restructure the regional development company of Imbo, Burundi (SRDI).

u A guide for financing agricultural input procurement and output marketing in Rwanda, November 2008 (EN) The guide’s purpose was to fill in the ‘information gap’ limiting both the supply and demand of credit for input procurement and output marketing in Rwanda. It provides an analysis of the demand for input procurement and output marketing credit so that financial institutions can better adapt their products to the needs of farmers’ organizations and traders.

u Experiences of the Inventory Credit System by CATALIST, March 2012 (EN) Report on the inventory credit system applied in the three countries through partner organizations with CATALIST support. The inventory credit system became more important in the region and

the report analyzes its strengths and weaknesses.

u CATALIST Agribusiness Cluster Overview, March 2012 (EN) This document reviews the current circumstances of clusters affiliated with the CATALIST project in Burundi, DRC and Rwanda. Some of the clusters are doing well while others still face many challenges. The report also proposes some solutions to the most common problems.

Investment Studies

u Producing urea from Lake Kivu methane gas, April 2009 (EN) At the request of the Government of Rwanda, IFDC conducted a feasibility study regarding the production of urea from Lake Kivu gas. The report examines the impact of several variables, including scale of operations, fixed capital investment, cost of gas and capacity utilization on production costs. The study also considers the primary environmental issues associated with constructing and operating a urea/ammonia complex and scenarios of a potential market.

u HIMO-prioritizing rural public works interventions in support of agricultural

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intensification, June 2007 (EN) The report examined available data and analysis in Rwanda and Burundi regarding the economics of various labor-intensive rural investments and prioritized the types of HIMO interventions in the border regions of Rwanda, Burundi and DRC. It also indicated which had significant impact on intensified agricultural productivity.

n Extension Tools(Available in French, Kirundi, Kiswahili and Kinyarwanda)

u Technical booklets 1-9 Extension booklets were developed on the general principles of ISFM (1 & 2) and details about the basic technologies of ISFM and other improved agricultural techniques.

u Extension leaflets for intensification per crop: cabbage, cassava, maize, potatoes, soybeans, tomatoes, peas, wheat and rice.

n DVDsu Our Soil, Our Future,

2011 (EN/FR/Kirundi) This documentary film explains in simple terms how to apply ISFM through the story of a Burundian returnee who uses agricultural techniques his community does not know yet. This story is interwoven with the story of a teacher explaining the same techniques to a secondary school in a more technical way.

u Soil and Stability, CATALIST, an overview of successes, March 2012 (EN) After five years of project implementation, this documentary film shot in the three countries gives an overview of the accomplishments of the project and how CATALIST distinguished itself from other development projects through its ongoing efforts to trigger the process of agriculture intensification in the Great Lakes Region. CA

TALIST Project Summary

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Annexes

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p Urea supergranules are manufactured by weight to form specific doses for different applications/crops.

Annex 1. Glossary of Key Conceptsu An agribusiness cluster is a network of actors such as farmers (not their organizations), agro-dealers,

MFIs, traders, processors and business support services in a specific area involved in developing one or more commodity value chains.

u An agricultural value chain involves all the processes and stakeholders involved in agribusiness. Value chain development links farmers to those who can help them grow crops, process, package, market and eventually buy the food they produce. Value chain development also strengthens all members of the chain and establishes linkages between different members. The final goal is to increase the competitiveness of the entire value chain through decreasing production and transaction costs and creating ‘win/win’ situations between stakeholders.

u Agro-dealers sell fertilizers, seeds and crop protection products and provide information on their use.

u Agroforestry is an integrated approach using the interactive benefits of combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems.

u Agro-inputs are resources such as fertilizer, seeds and crop protection products that improve agricultural productivity.

u Cereal equivalent is the conversion of the yield of weight value of a food to account for the water and energy content, measured in the proportion of standard 3,500 calories/kg equivalents of cereals.

u The Competitive Agricultural Systems and Enterprises (CASE) process involves helping farmers in developing countries access the right tools and agricultural knowledge to improve crops and then linking the farmers to profitable markets so that they can sell their produce. CASE is based on three pillars: agribusiness cluster development, commodity value chain development and the creation of a favorable institutional environment.


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u Decision support tools (DST) such as geographic information systems (GIS), market information systems (MIS) and modeling tools allow agronomists, soil scientists, meteorologists and economists to collect, analyze and employ soil, weather and market information, and to generate site- and crop-specific soil nutrient recommendations.

u Fertilizers are combinations of the nutrients that plants must have to grow, in a form they can use. The main nutrients in fertilizers are three essential elements: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), often called NPK when they are combined.

u Fertilizer deep placement (FDP) – (also known as urea deep placement [UDP] when utilizing urea fertilizer) – is a simple yet innovative technology involving the placement of 1-3 grams of fertilizer supergranules (or briquettes) at a 7-10 centimeters soil depth shortly after rice paddy is transplanted. FDP increases nutrient use efficiency because most of the nutrients stay in the soil, close to the plant roots where they are absorbed more effectively. The benefits of the technology are significant – a 25 percent increase in crop yields and a 40 percent decrease in nitrogen losses. Over two million farmers in Bangladesh are using UDP, accounting for 12 percent of total paddy rice acreage. The technology is now being expanded across Africa.

u Haute Intensité de la Main d’Oeuvre labor-intensive work (HIMO) creates temporary jobs building infrastructure to facilitate access to and from remote areas so that trade opportunities can be increased. Moreover, the temporary jobs provide wages for unemployed rural dwellers.

u Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) is a series of strategies designed to increase agricultural productivity while protecting the environment and maintaining (or even enhancing) the soil resource base. ISFM strategies center on the combined use of mineral fertilizers and locally available organic amendments (crop residues, compost and manure) to replenish lost soil nutrients. In addition, ISFM promotes improved crop management practices, measures to control erosion and leaching and techniques to improve soil organic matter maintenance. ISFM is a major component of numerous IFDC projects in Africa and Eurasia.

u An inventory credit system (ICS) allows farmers to have access to credit while using their harvest as a guarantee for the borrowed funds. The farmer’s harvest is stored in a warehouse or silo until it can be sold at a better price than the low prices available at harvest time. The ICS is also known as the warranty system or the warehouse receipts system. IFDC has been promoting ICS in West Africa for more than a decade, and in 2009, IFDC’s CATALIST project introduced ICS in Burundi and Rwanda.

u Urea Deep Placement (UDP): See fertilizer deep placement.

u Vouchers: Vouchers act as coupons to transfer purchasing power to targeted smallholder farmers either by reducing the price of an agro-input below market cost or by providing liquidity as production credit, with repayment expected at some later date.

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Annex 2. Acronyms & AbbreviationsADVS ................... Association des Distributeurs des Vivres et SemencesAE ......................... agronomic efficiencyAGRA ................... Alliance for a Green Revolution in AfricaAPAV .................... Association des Producteurs Agricole de VuhimbaBAIR ..................... Bureau d’appui aux initiatives ruralesBRALIMA ........... Brasseries et Limonaderies de MatadiBTC ....................... Belgium Technical CooperationCAGLR ................. Central Africa’s Great Lakes RegionCARITAS ............. Catholic Relief, Development, and Social Service OrganizationCASE .................... Competitive Agricultural Systems and EnterprisesCATALIST ............ Catalyze Accelerated Agricultural Intensification for Social and Environmental StabilityCECM .................. Caisse d’épargne et de credit mutuelCEPGL ................ Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (Communauté Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs)

p An animated discussion in the ‘Mandimba Station’ in North Kivu, DRC. The Mandimba Station is a farmer school for women leaders and promotes financially viable projects that can potentially self-finance local activities.


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CIALCA................ Consortium for the Improvement of Agriculture-Based Livelihoods in Central AfricaCIP ........................ Crop Intensification ProgramCOMESA ............. Common Market for Eastern and Southern AfricaCOMPETE........... Competitiveness and Trade Expansion ProgramCOOCENKI ......... Central Cooperative of Northern Kivu (Coopérative Centrale du Nord Kivu)CPP........................ crop protection productsDAP ..................... diammonium phosphateDGIS..................... Directorate-General for International CooperationDRC ...................... Democratic Republic of CongoEAC ...................... East African CommunityEAFA .................... East African Fertilizer AssociationEAGC .................. Eastern Africa Grain CouncilFAO ...................... Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsFOPAC ................. Federation of Agricultural Producer Organizations of the CongoGoR ...................... Government of Rwandaha ......................... hectareHIMO ................... labor-intensive work (haute intensité de la main d’œuvre)IFAD .................... International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentIFDC ..................... International Fertilizer Development CenterISAR ..................... Institut des sciences agronomiques du RwandaISFM ..................... integrated soil fertility managementK ............................ potassiumkg.......................... kilogramLOFEPACO ......... League of Women Farmers’ OrganizationsMAFL ................... Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock (DRC)MAL ..................... Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock ( Burundi)MFI ....................... micro-finance institutionMINAGRI ............ Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (Rwanda)MIS ....................... market information systemsMOU .................... Memorandum of Understandingmt ......................... metric tonsN ........................... nitrogen

p A Congolese farmer harvests maize close to Beni town, North Kivu Province, DRC.

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NGO ..................... non-governmental organizationP ............................ phosphorusP4P ....................... Purchase for ProgressPREDIR ................ Programme Régional de Développement Intégré de la RusiziPReFER ............... Privatization of Rwanda’s Fertilizer Distribution and Input SystemRADD .................. Rwanda Agro-Dealer DevelopmentRDO ..................... Rwanda Development OrganizationRNFS .................... Rwandan National Fertilizer StrategySACCO ................ Savings and Credit CooperativeSARCAF ............. Service d’Accompagnement et de Renforcement des Capacités

(d’Autopromotion des Femmes du Sud Kivu)SEW...................... Sustainable Energy through Woodlots and AgroforestrySYDIP .................. Union of Farmers’ InterestsToT........................ training of trainersUCODE ................ Union pour la Coopération et le DéveloppementUDP ..................... urea deep placementUNEP ................... United Nations Environmental ProgrammeUSAID.................. U.S. Agency for International DevelopmentVCR ...................... value cost ratioVECO .................. Vredeseilanden Country OfficeWFP ..................... World Food Programme

p Farmers dry paddy rice on the Bugarama Plain, Western Province, Rwanda.

Text – Alice Vander Elstraeten, CATALIST staff members and Scott Mall

Editing – Scott Mall

Primary Design – Meg Ross

Design Adaptation – Victoria L. Antoine


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u A maize farm in Musanze is close to the Virunga volcano chain in Northern Province, Rwanda.u Back cover: A woman harvests rice on the Bugarama Plain, Western Province, Rwanda.

p Farming implements on display at an agriculture fair in Kigali in 2011. In the foreground at left is a briquetting machine to manufacture fertilizer supergranules used in FDP/UDP.

u IFDC is a public international organization, governed by an international board of directors with representations from developed and developing countries. The nonprofit Center is supported by various bilateral and multilateral aid agencies, private foundations and national governments. IFDC focuses on increasing and sustaining food security and agricultural productivity in developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.

u DGIS: Development cooperation is a stated goal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Through its Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS), the Netherlands contributes toward the development of poor countries around the world. The Netherlands development policy emphasizes more Dutch investment in fragile states and in countries which have the most ground to make up in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

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© IFDC 2012. All rights reserved.

For additional information about IFDC and/or the CATALIST project, visit www.ifdc.org.

Documents

CATALIST Project Overview