Globally, food loss and waste (FLW) contribute 8 to 10% of world greenhouse gas emissions, making it a significant source of methane emission and air pollution[1]. In Rwanda, an estimated 40% of total food production is lost and wasted each year[2]. This figure is alarmingly high considering that many Rwandans, especially women and children, continue to face challenges linked to food insecurity and malnutrition. Beyond the human impact, food loss and waste accounts for 21% of the country’s total land use, 16% of its greenhouse gases and 12% loss to Rwanda’s annual GDP. Minimizing food loss and waste is thus critically important to mitigate climate change, protect the environment, enhance incomes and improve the health and wellbeing of Rwandans. Some of the main drivers of food loss and waste in Rwanda include limited infrastructure for post-harvest, transportation and cold storage, limited awareness of food loss & waste issues, lack of data to identify critical problem areas, high contamination of organic waste due to improper waste sorting at point of generation, coupled with lack of segregated collection and transportation of waste, as well as limited capacity and infrastructure to valorize organic waste at scale.

Recognizing the importance of food loss and waste for both people and planet, the Government of Rwanda has introduced various policies and strategies with tangible measures for tackling FLW. As part of its National Circular Economy Action Plan and Roadmap, Rwanda aims to decrease post-harvest losses and enhance the valorization of municipal organic waste. The National Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy also encourages more efficient practices for sorting at sources and increase valorization of food waste at point of generation to improve compost quality and reduce potential negative impacts of poorly managed household food waste, especially in remote areas without access to collection services and the newly introduced model villages for urban poor in Kigali. Furthermore, Rwanda’s Fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA-5), which was recently validated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, sets a target of reducing food losses in priority staple crops from an average of 13.8% in 2023/24 to 8% in 2028/29. It intends to achieve this reduction by improving storage and cold-chain facilities, enhancing food processing capabilities, waste management, and promoting circular economy models[3].

Beyond raising the importance of minimizing FLW in key policies and strategies, the Government of Rwanda is also working with key development partners and the private sector to roll out tangible measures on the ground. Through the Ireme Invest facility established at Rwanda Green Fund, catalytic funding has been disbursed to green entrepreneurs deploying innovative solutions to reduce FLW in the country. For instance, it is supporting enterprises such as Golden Insect and Maggot Farm Production Ltd who have ventured in organic waste valorization and animal feed production using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technology. By valorizing organic waste into quality compost and animal feed that are more cost effective, these companies play an important role in reducing dependence on imported fertilizers and inputs, curbing methane emissions, improving soil health, all while creating green jobs. However, their financial sustainability and ability to scale remains a challenge.

Under the Waste to Resources project, which was funded by the Government of Luxembourg and implemented in partnership with GGGI, tangible steps have been taken to promote circular economy approaches to waste management, ensuring that waste, which is predominately organic in Rwanda, is diverted from dumpsite where it would otherwise decompose and release methane. Notably, the project installed a 5-tons biowaste facility to valorize Kigali’s growing quantity of organic waste into organic compost. Since the biowaste facility began operations four months ago, over 660 tons of organic waste, including food waste, have been processed, with around 165 tons being converted into compost. The produced compost which is aligned with local standards for agriculture organic fertilizer use is expected to be applied for landscaping and farming cash crops, boosting agricultural productivity and reducing food insecurity. Furthermore, the Waste to Resources project conducted campaigns to raise awareness of waste as a resource. It also rolled out a pilot initiative to support households in Gatare and Niboye cells in Kigali to sort their waste, as a first step towards minimizing organic waste contamination and facilitating its valorization.

However, more needs to be done to significantly reduce food loss and waste at the required scale. Promising interventions could include:

• Addressing critical data gaps and enhancing R&D: improving country-level data on food loss and waste as well as the true cost of food is critical to set more ambitious targets in favor of FLW minimization and to prioritize limited investment resources towards more effective solutions for valorization. There is also a need to undertake research on the production of different kinds of organic fertilizers with trials to confirm and recommend compost application for different farming systems.
•  Scaling waste separation at source and enforcing segregated collection and transport along the entire service chain: Practicing waste sorting at source will minimize efforts for pre-sorting and increase the availability of uncontaminated food waste, which is critical for producing good quality compost and minimizing dependency on chemical fertilizers. Building on the GGGI’s pilot, bolder and concerted action is required to scale up household level sorting. Partnerships with private waste collection companies to ensure that segregated waste collection and transportation is effectively implemented in Kigali and in secondary cities across the country is also critically needed.
•  Set up municipal-level infrastructure for organic waste valorization: Current initiatives aimed at valorizing organic waste into compost and animal feed are mostly led by small-scale enterprises. Whilst these can play a key role in rural settings, the rapid growth in waste generated from Rwanda’s expanding cities calls for the introduction of large-scale waste treatment infrastructure to divert waste from dumpsites and produce high-quality compost in adequate quantity to meet growing market demand.
•  Knowledge and capacity strengthening: Enhancing the knowledge and capacity of stakeholders with the expertise, skills, and confidence needed to reduce food loss and waste should be prioritized. Partnerships with educational institutions to set up training programs aimed at increasing the knowledge and skills of actors in Rwanda’s agri-food system and ensuring that they are keeping with innovation is also crucial.
• Develop enhanced enabling environment and support market development: working with key relevant government institutions, there is a need to develop guidelines and procedures for applying produced fertilizers, support market development and accelerate the adoption of organic composts at scale.

GGGI remains dedicated to strengthening its partnership with the Government of Rwanda, private sector actors, civil society organizations, development partners and research and academic institutions to advance initiatives aimed at addressing food loss and waste. Together, let’s redouble our efforts to address food loss and waste, and contribute to the country’s overall goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.