Mott MacDonald, in partnership with the Rwandan Ministry of Finance’s National Capacity Building Secretariat, has officially launched the Strengthening Education for Agricultural Development (SEAD) project. Focusing on the dairy, poultry, Irish potato and vegetable agricultural value chains, SEAD will help farmers address the critical constraints that limit the quantity and quality of their production and their competitiveness.
Agricultural production remains the backbone of Rwanda’s economy. However, the sector faces several challenges, such as small average land holdings, limited commercial agriculture, poor water use management, insufficient extension services and poor access to markets and financial services.
SEAD is designed to help achieve sustainable food security in Rwanda by improving education and training, research and community services in agricultural production and the management of value chains, land and water resources.
Mott MacDonald will help Rwandan universities and technical vocational education and training institutions to improve their educational, research and community outreach services by making them more labour market-oriented, with an increased focus on entrepreneurship and inclusiveness.
Addie van Ommering, Mott MacDonald’s project director, said: “SEAD will bring together institutions from the Netherlands and South Africa with agricultural and private sector partners from Rwanda. It will strengthen links between educational institutions, government and the private sector to improve food security.”
SEAD is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the EP-Nuffic Netherlands Initiative for Capacity development in Higher Education programme. The project will run until summer 2021.