Postcard from the Field: Growing More Through Solar-Powered Energy
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Location: Rwanda
A farmer harvests french beans in Rwanda's Kayonza district. This field is home to one of 20 environmentally friendly solar-powered irrigation systems funded by USAID at the cost of $1,060,000 (RWF 1,10,000,000) total. These systems irrigate about 200 hectares of land, which are utilized by over 1,200 farmers. Thanks to these irrigation systems, farmers are able to increase their production of fruits and vegetables two-fold, from two planting seasons to all year round, mainly in Rwanda's drought-prone districts of Bugesera, Ngoma, Kayonza, and Gatsibo.
The five-year Feed the Future Hinga Weze project closed in 2022 after supporting the sustainable intensification of Rwandan smallholder farming systems for 733,000 farmers. The project emphasized climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive approaches and social and behavior change to increase the production and consumption of five value chains including nutritious foods, such as high-iron beans, orange-fleshed sweet potato, Irish potato, and maize. The project also worked to increase the resilience of Rwanda’s agricultural and food systems to a changing climate.
Climatelinks
Climatelinks is a global knowledge portal for USAID staff, implementing partners, and the broader community working at the intersection of climate change and international development. The portal curates and archives technical guidance and knowledge related to USAID’s work to help countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.
