WB lauds Rwanda on food security

The World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development, Rachel Kyte, said Rwanda put in place the right measures to ensure a food secure population. “This is one of the countries where you can see the impact of investment made after the 2008 food crisis,” Kyte said Sunday during a news conference at the World Bank office in Kigali after her three-day visit during which she toured various projects funded by the bank across the country. She added that the government’s response was to ensure that any future food crisis will not have direct impact on Rwanda. Some of the measures, she noted ,include investments in production and storage, transformation of landscapes as well as the supply of quality seeds to farmers. Government, in collaboration with Global Action plan of Food security, is now moving towards helping the communities to organise themselves to be able to produce rice through provision of technical support and all necessary technical input. A recent report by ActionAid dubbed “HungerFREE” ranked Rwanda among the top three out of the 28 developing countries examined on vulnerability and preparedness with regard to food security and climate change. Kyte urged the government to develop ways that would help drive income from the agricultural system to other sectors. “The question is how you can invest in them to help grow their income and re-invest in other sectors,” Kyte said. She was also impressed by the country’s energy strategy and the broad infrastructural framework of the country, saying that a strong policy framework allows the economy to get home with what they are good at. A strong policy environment also allows the public sector to go on freely, creates a platform for private participation which, in turn, generates jobs and spurs the economy, she added. “It is impossible to continue revolutionalising agriculture if infrastructure is not in place and if energy is not in place,” the WB official noted. According to Kyte, today WB is looking at how sustainable development is going to be shaped over the next few years through sharing experiences on what works in similar economies or countries with similar challenges. “The learning is coming from developing to developed countries and not developed to developing countries,” she emphasised. Majyambere.gertrude@newtimes.co.rw

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WB lauds Rwanda on food security