Organic domestic market potential in Rwanda

Context

To guarantee organic produces for local market, the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) started in 2004 to promote Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) as a valuable alternative for organic products for local market.

Such PGS systems share a common goal in providing a credible guarantee for consumers seeking organic produce, just like any other third-party certification. Direct participation of farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in the certification process is greatly encouraged in PGS. This involvement reduces paperwork, cost of certification and thereby making it more accessible to small organic farmers.

ROAM, the Rwanda Organic Agriculture Movement, is seen as the leading organisation for the establishment of a PGS in Rwanda. For ROAM to successfully set-up a PGS in Rwanda, technical support is needed to equip them with the knowledge needed to align the process with stakeholder needs.

Involved organisations

This project has been commissioned by COLEAD. COLEAD is a network of companies, professional organisations and experts committed to inclusive and sustainable agriculture.

As a private sector (not-for-profit) organisation, COLEAD’s purpose is to support activities that aim to increase the agricultural sector’s contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. COLEAD designs, manages and implements development programmes. Online and in the field, they supply technical assistance; vocational training; and support services that offer research and innovation brokerage, monitoring of regulations and standards, market insights, networks and alliances, and access to finance.

The project is carried out for and with ROAM, the Rwanda Organic Agriculture Movement. ROAM is a National Umbrella Organization for producers, farmers, processors, exporters and importers involved in organic agriculture and has more than 5000 members who work in organic production, processing, and marketing. ROAM is a member of International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement(IFOAM), the worldwide umbrella organization for the organic agriculture movements which represents close to 800 affiliates in 117 countries.

Project goal and outputs

The project’s goal is to gather data to conduct a preliminary market analysis to assess the market potential for operating a Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) in Rwanda. Such information would not only be useful for the set-up of the PGS, but can also be sued to steer the business plan of ROAM.

With means of desk research, consumer survey, hotel survey, and expert interviews, the project assesses the market potential. The project provides insights on the following factors:

Key domestic market actors in the local supply chain;
Type of products, varieties and packaging;
Potential size of the market in terms of volume and value;
Competitors;
Distance to markets, and potential modes of transportation to reach them;
Market demand: costumer profile, requirements for key products, trends and their willingness to pay and surplus for respecting organic production principles.

The full report can be found here in the online library of COLEAD.

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The results of the impact study may contribute to the following SDGs:

SDG 1: No Poverty. A PGS can be beneficial for smallholder farmers as it might increase the market potential for their organic produce. Empowering these actors within the organic fruit and vegetable market can contribute to poverty reduction.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. A PGS can help to strengthen the organic agricultural value chains, enhancing decent work opportunities and fostering economic growth within the organic sector.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Strengthening the organic agricultural value chains helps to increase the volume of organic products on domestic markets with fair prices for all actors in the value chain, encouraging responsible consumption and supporting sustainable production.