Growing food in Rwanda

It's hard to believe that we are now into the second week of school. It's true what they say- the days are long here, but the weeks and months race on. Now that the students are in school from 7am to 2pm, I have a bit more time to explore the farm. 

The farm has chickens, cows, bananas, avocados, guavas, citrus, pineapples, kidney beans, maize, coffee, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and more.  It is relatively young, although I'm sure most of this land has been under cultivation at one point or another by previous owners.  Except for a few trees, most fruit trees or on the farm were planted 3 years ago, and some are just beginning to give fruit.

ASYV is physically located in a warmer and drier area of the country.  The area of the village which is not landscaped with grass, hedges and trees, or farmed,  is covered with bushes.  Very few mature trees exist on the land either because it has been cultivated for such a long time, and/or the trees were cut down for fire wood over the years.

In Rwanda, most people use firewood or charcoal to cook.  Given the amount of people and the little land that is still forested...this is quite worrisome. In addition, many people plant Eucalyptus trees here because they are extremely fast growing.  Eucalyptus are very good at sucking up water and nutrients from the soil and doesn't allow for other plants to create an understory.  I think Eucalyptus might have a role as managed pioneer species in combination with native trees or other desirable fruit/nut/forage species, but a pure stand of Eucalyptus does not favour biodiversity.

ASYV has planted trees in the main part of the village and also in an area called the nature park.  This will be wonderful when the tree grow, and hopefully more trees we be planted specifically for shade purposes.  This will moderate the temperature in the village, build the soil, buffer the wind, and create a more enjoyable micro climate.   Depending on the species selected, they may also produce food, forage, mulch, and medicine.  (Especially if this permaculturalist has anything to do with it!:))

The nature park is an area behind the school that some of the past volunteers, staff and students helped to map, plant trees and build trails. This is a place to explore, relax and learn. This is an area that is unlike most of Rwanda.  Natural spaces are few are far in between.


Riding in the bus around Rwanda, you get the sense that the whole country is like one big food garden (with smatterings of the hedges and lawns aesthetic). Bananas, potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, beans, peas, and cows are everywhere you look. Crops are farmed right up to the road and on incredibly steep hills. If I were skiing some of those hills- they would be double black or black diamond steep. However, I suppose that is what is needed for a country of 11 million people. Lots of food.

The traditional way of subsistence farming seems to involve polycultures of different plants all growing together. However, the plants that they grow (bananas, corn, beans, potatoes) are the same all throughout the country. I wonder how much plant diversity there actually is in the country- and what would happen if a fungus or virus came through for one of those staple plants. I hope there are many different varieties of those staple plants so that if something happens, there is some resiliency.

Something else that worries me is some of Rwanda's agriculture policies.  They want to aggregate farm land so they can grow one crop and it will be easier to mechanize.  Sounds like a familiar Western practice which I don't think has actually benefited any farmers (ask the farmers in the corn belt of the USA)... maybe these policies benefit the pockets of large agribusiness, but farmers... that is questionable. (The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan illustrates this very well)

Although this policy this might make planting and processing more efficient, I'm not sure if it will produce more food. Furthermore, if mechanization is involved- might actually hurt the long term sustainability of the soil.  Steep hills and tractors or rotatillers= soil loss, erosion for sure!  Also it sounds like aggregating farm land would reduce farmer's agency in deciding what they want to plant.  It would make them plant cash crops which are at the whims of international price markets and not allow them to grow food for their families first.  Although I am sure there are lots of ways to improve smallholder production, I am not sure about this policy... (more about this and other policies later).

On a lighter, and less controversial note, I started helping out on the farm this week.  There are about 20 farm workers from the surrounding community.  Most of them have been farming all their lives... so they think I am quite comical because a) I am a westerner and b) because I don't have their same level of dexterity and skill with the farm tools.  One day they gave me a giant stick to use as a pry, and a machete to cut down bushes (to mulch the bananas).  I could not for the life of me figure out how to wield the stick and the machete with any sense of efficiency- even though I had plenty of good role models.
Another day, when I helped to beat the beans (to release the dry beans from their pods), I apparently had the wrong technique, even though I thought I was doing it exactly the same as everyone else.  So I certainly have a long way to go to being awesome with the local tools and techniques, but it is a good way to build relationships and observe the farm.  After all, the first principle of permaculture is 'to observe and interact'.
 
If anyone out there has some ideas of of wonderful permaculture all-star plants that can be grown here to add diversity, resiliency, habitat and an income for the people of Rwanda. I am interested in learning about these plants, finding them and planting them.