AFS Forum 2026: How bundled services support smallholder farmers prosper in Rwanda

At the Africa Food Systems (AFS) Forum 2026, agricultural leaders underscored a fundamental reality: smallholder farming families do not experience their challenges in isolation, and single-issue interventions cannot transform rural food systems. Sustainable agricultural growth requires integrated service bundles—combining high-quality inputs, flexible seasonal financing, practical field training, and direct market linkages One Acre Fund Rwanda showcased at the forum how its holistic delivery model operationalizes national agricultural priorities under PSTA 5, turning productivity gains into lasting household prosperity. Extension Excellence: The engine of last-mile delivery Central to One Acre Fund impact is Extension Excellence—a network of dedicated field officers who serve as trusted agronomic advisors directly within rural cell sites. For Olive Niyonsaba, a One Acre Fund extension officer in Bugesera District, serving farmers effectively requires overcoming daily logistical barriers across remote communities. After spending years walking long distances to reach farm plots, Niyonsaba took the initiative to invest her own savings from a local association into a bicycle. The personal investment transformed her operational efficiency. Rather than spending hours in transit, she now spends maximum time on the farm—delivering site-based training on good agricultural practices, monitoring crop development, and ensuring input delivery arrives on time. As extension officers, our goal is to ensure farmers get the right technical advisory and inputs exactly when they need them, said Niyonsaba. Investing in my own mobility was a practical decision that allowed me to serve more farming households, improve service delivery, and maintain a healthy work-life balance for my family. Niyonsaba’s experience highlights the vital role of frontline extension workers as delivery engines for agricultural transformation. Bundling solutions around farmers One Acre Fund also hosted a high-level side event on “Bundled Solutions for Farmers,” highlighting that smallholder families do not experience their challenges in isolation—and their path to growth requires integrated solutions. Addressing panelists, Eric Pohlman, Chief Executive Officer of One Acre Fund, emphasized that smallholders are astute business managers who need financial systems designed around their actual farm production cycles. “Our financial institutions are really critical because of the pivotal role they play,” Pohlman noted. “They must work in tandem with farmers’ income cycles. When we align financing with the reality of the season, we turn agricultural support into a scalable, sustainable business model.” Pohlman explained that single-issue fixes like credit alone leave farmers exposed to climate and market shocks. Instead, the real intervention is the bundle itself: pairing flexible financing with last-mile input delivery, practical village-based training, climate risk protection, and high-value market linkages. “Bundling isn’t just our internal conviction—it is backed by rigorous external research showing that removing multiple barriers at once is what allows farmers to convert productivity gains into real, lasting profit,” Pohlman said. “When smallholders choose to invest in this complete bundle season after season, they are acting as active partners building their own pathway to economic self-reliance.” Dr. Patrick Karangwa, Director General of Agriculture Modernisation at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), reinforced that public-private coordination is essential to unlock smallholder potential. “The challenges farmers face—from climate shocks to fluctuating input costs—occur simultaneously,” Karangwa stated. “When we address only one constraint, we limit the farmer’s ability to succeed. Bundling services creates a complete ecosystem that equips farmers to thrive.” Karangwa cited national food basket sites as a prime example of this integrated strategy in action, where tripartite and quadripartite agreements bring together financial institutions, input providers, off-takers, and farmers. “When all four actors align around the farmer, we transform last-mile delivery,” Karangwa added. “It streamlines access to critical tools, de-risks rural investment, and establishes a proven model for sustainable agricultural growth across Rwanda.”

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AFS Forum 2026: How bundled services support smallholder farmers prosper in Rwanda