Urban Farming and Family Fruits Garden
Posted: Sep 22, 2025
As Rwanda advances its Vision 2050 agenda, urbanization is accelerating across the country. Kigali and six secondary cities Huye, Muhanga, Musanze, Rubavu, Rusizi, and Nyagatare are expanding rapidly, offering both opportunities and complex challenges. Despite economic progress, these urban centers face high rates of food insecurity, malnutrition, unemployment, and environmental degradation.
Recognizing the urgency to respond, The Result, through its Agri Solutions Unit, is leading the implementation of a bold, transformative initiative: the Urban Farming and Family Fruits Garden Project. Spanning five years (2025–2030), this initiative is designed to equip urban households with practical farming skills, promote nutritional self-sufficiency, stimulate job creation, and contribute to greener, climate-resilient cities.
Why Urban Farming in Rwanda?
Despite national growth, many urban families still lack access to fresh, nutritious, and affordable food. Key indicators reveal:
- 21.3% of urban children under five are stunted (DHS 2019–2020)
- 22% urban unemployment rate, with youth and women most affected (EICV7, 2024)
- High food costs and limited farming space driving dependency on processed foods
- 22% of urban children consume no fruits or vegetables (UNICEF)
Urban malnutrition persists. Overconsumption of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods has led to “hidden hunger,” affecting children's growth, cognitive development, and long-term productivity.
Urban farming and home-based fruit gardens offer a low-cost, high-impact solution empowering families to grow their own food, reduce expenses, diversify diets, and create new sources of income.
Project Objectives and Impact
The Urban Farming and Family Fruits Garden Project will:
- Empower 7,000 households across seven cities with practical training and inputs to adopt vertical farming, container gardening, and family fruit gardening
- Establish 7 modern fruit nurseries one in each target city to supply seedlings at low cost
- Launch one agro-input model shop to ensure affordable, accessible farming supplies
- Promote cultivation of 8 vegetables and 9 fruits, including cabbages, garlic, eggplants, tree tomatoes, mangoes, and passion fruits
- Launch a processing plant for surplus fruits and vegetables, supporting Agri-value chains
- Increase vegetable and fruit consumption by 30%, directly contributing to nutrition security
- Reduce urban heat and improve air quality through greening and home-based agriculture
What We Will Grow
To ensure maximum nutritional benefit and market potential, the project will promote:
Vegetables:
- Cabbages, carrots, amaranths, garlic, eggplants, onions, peppers, mushrooms
Fruits:
- Mangoes, papayas, modern avocados, oranges, lemons, passion fruits, pumpkins, tree tomatoes, modern banana plantations
How the Project Works
The project uses a participatory, community-based approach centered around capacity building and sustainability. Key implementation steps include:
- Baseline assessments to identify and prioritize vulnerable households
- Technical training in vertical farming, home irrigation, composting, and organic fertilization
- Provision of starter kits: quality seedlings, compost, farming tools, and manuals
- Establishment of fruit nurseries and demo gardens to serve as learning hubs
- Creation of a fruits and vegetables processing plant to absorb surplus and generate value-added products
- Continuous technical support via local agronomists, extension workers, and trained facilitators
- Formation of peer support groups and cooperatives to enhance collective learning and income generation
Policy Alignment and Strategic Relevance
This initiative is firmly rooted in Rwanda’s national priorities and global development goals:
In alignment with:
- Vision 2050 and the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2)
- Agriculture Strategic Plan (PSTA5) and National Nutrition Policy
- Urbanization and Rural Settlement Sector Plan
- Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS)
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 13: Climate Action
The project also complements and scales up work by organizations like FAO, WFP, EU, and GIZ in nutrition-sensitive agriculture and urban food security.
Economic Opportunities and Sustainability
The project isn’t just about farming it’s about building resilient livelihoods. Key sustainability features include:
- Agro-Inputs Shop: Providing subsidized, high-quality inputs and creating revenue streams for The Result
- Fruit Processing Plant: Buying surplus harvests to reduce waste, add value, and open markets
- Household Market Linkages: Supporting households to sell excess produce locally
- Job Creation: Over 100 jobs expected in nurseries, extension work, agro-processing, and retail
- Scalability: The project is designed for scale-up across Rwanda and other African cities beyond 2030
Who Will Benefit?
- 7,000 urban households in Kigali and six secondary cities
- Women and youth in low-income urban areas
- Agripreneurs and cooperatives in fruits and vegetables value chains
- Urban communities through improved green spaces and food access
- The Result as an institution will achieve financial sustainability and expand its impact
Join Us in Building a Healthier, Greener Rwanda
We invite stakeholders, development partners, research institutions, NGOs, private sector actors, and community leaders to collaborate with us. Together, we can transform Rwanda’s cities into inclusive, productive, and climate-smart ecosystems where food security, health, and livelihoods thrive.
Contact: info@theresult.rw
Website: www.theresult.rw
Phone: +250 788 357 721
Let’s grow cities that nourish people and the planet. One garden at a time.
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