ADECOR calls Government to intervene for the reduction in food commodity prices

Rwanda Consumer’s Rights Protection Organization (ADECOR) stands up for advocacy on the reduction of the prices on food commodities, calling the government and other stakeholders to make a collective action.

In their assessment on what caused price hike on food commodities, ADECOR learnt that the pandemic of Covid-19 and Russia-Ukraine war were among the catalysts of the price hike especially for the imports.

“We collected information from countrywide on the causes of price hike on food commodities market, we want to conduct advocacy so that people graduate from the red line of malnutrition,” said Damien Ndizeye, Executive Secretary of ADECOR during a press conference on Thursday, January 12, 2023.

Ndizeye calls up on the government to amend agriculture policy and boost the local food systems, enabling farmers to produce more foods through the support of subsidies in accessing locally made manure fertilizers, to ensure food security and marketable commodities to enhance financial development.

Damien Ndizeye, Executive Secretary of ADECOR during a press conference with the journalists on Thursday, January 12, 2023.

ADECOR requests the following:

1) The change in Agriculture policy: instead of eating the remains of foreign countries through imports, we should produce enough for local consumption and market.

2) Reduction of taxes on some commodities: high rate of taxes also contributed to price hike; reduction of taxes will help to increase the number of investors/Agripreneurs.

3) Subsidies in locally made manure fertilizers: High price of imported fertilizers increases food prices; we request the government to put-in subsides.

4) Renew some programs that targets investors in agribusiness, this will help to create jobs and reduce unemployment.

Good Food for Cities (GF4Cs) project interventions

Under the financial support of Belgium Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) through RIKOLTO International SON, ADECOR and Kilimo Trust Rwanda are also implementing a five years (2022-2026) project “Good Food for Cities- GF4Cs” in Rubavu district with potential upscaling to other cities. The project has three domains of interventions including sustainable food production, inclusive markets and enabling environment.

The ambition of the programme is to catalyse collective action among local food system actors (local authorities, food retailers and distributors, producers, citizens, experts, financial institutions, citizens, and civil society organisations) for making urban food environments and food supply chains more conducive to health.

The project will boost inclusivity, resilience, and enabling healthy, sustainable and nutritious diets (HSN) for all citizens, especially women, youth and vulnerable groups to ensure that food production, distribution and consumption practices as well as food environments and food supply chains in cities are clear.

ADECOR’s roles include facilitating urban food governance processes to discuss the enabling environment for inclusive local food chains and food environment, sharing evidence from the interventions for the purpose of upscaling and creating new partnerships, also facilitating the participation of local actors in the discussion with national authorities.

Source: The Inspirer