Rwanda’s Circular Food Future: From Policy to Practice, a Nation Redesigns its Food Systems

At a bustling forum in Kigali, policy-makers, development partners, and entrepreneurs gathered around a shared vision, one that turns waste into wealth and redefines how Rwanda grows, processes, and consumes food. The message from the panel was clear: Rwanda’s circular food systems transformation is no longer an idea on paper, but a movement gaining momentum across farms, industries, and ministries.

A Vision Rooted in Collaboration

Opening the discussion, Eric Ruzigamanzi, Country Representative of the World Resources Institute (WRI) Rwanda, emphasized that the journey toward circularity begins with partnership. “Our goal is not just to manage waste,” he said, “but to rethink how food systems can work for people, nature, and the economy together.”

The conversation built on Rwanda’s growing leadership in reimagining sustainability. From regenerative agriculture to innovative business models, the country is positioning itself as a pioneer in circular economy practices that link productivity, climate resilience, and community well-being.

From Vision to Implementation

Dr Susan chomba, Director Food, Land and Water, World Resources Institute (WRI), framed the circular food systems agenda as both urgent and transformative. “Circularity isn’t simply recycling,” she explained in a side interview. “It’s about reconfiguring entire value chains so that every input, by-product, and waste stream adds value somewhere else whether in the soil, in the market, or back into the hands of communities.”

Dr. Chomba highlighted that Rwanda’s efforts align with WRI’s broader work across Africa under the Circular Food Systems for Rwanda project, supported by the IKEA Foundation. The initiative supports local institutions, government agencies, and businesses to pilot practical models of circularity from regenerative soil practices to waste recovery in food processing.

The IKEA Foundation’s Nic van der Jagt, Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation Manager, reinforced that the Foundation’s involvement is “about building evidence and learning from what works.” He noted that “Rwanda’s approach grounded in co-creation, collaboration, and systems thinking is showing how circular food systems can deliver both climate and livelihood benefits.”

Policy Innovation Driving the Transition

Government leadership has been critical in translating these ideas into policy. Dr. Christian Sekomo Birame, Director General of the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA), underscored the importance of aligning national strategies with sustainability principles. “We are promoting zero grazing, integrated crop-livestock systems, and the use of organic fertilizers,” he said during the discussion. “Seventy percent of our grazing areas are being transitioned toward crop production, this integration helps increase residues in the field, improve soil health, and reduce methane emissions.”

Dr. Birame described Rwanda’s “circular food system” as a core pillar of its PSTA5 (the Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation). The plan focuses on climate-resilient, resource-efficient systems and encourages cross-sector partnerships. Through platforms like the Agriculture Sector Working Group, NIRDA brings together farmers, UN agencies, and private companies to co-create practical solutions. “We are avoiding business-as-usual,” Dr. Birame said. “By planning together, we ensure ownership from farmers to consumers.”

Industrial Policy Meets Green Innovation

That collaborative energy extends to Rwanda’s industrial policy as well. Fred, an Industrial Policy Analyst from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM), explained that circular economy principles are now woven into the country’s new industrial policy. “We support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that operate in the circular economy space through financial incentives, tax exemptions, and technical assistance,” he said.

He pointed to successful recycling initiatives from electronic waste to scrap metal and paper that are creating new business opportunities while cleaning up the environment. “You can no longer see metal scraps lying in the streets,” he added. “They’re all being collected, recycled, and turned into useful materials for domestic and export markets.”

MINICOM is also promoting specialized industrial parks, such as the upcoming agro-food park in Nyagatare, designed to cluster green industries that share resources and by-products. “These clusters will help businesses learn from one another and scale good practices,” Fred said. “That’s how circularity becomes not just environmental policy but industrial reality.”

Monitoring Progress and Building Partnerships

Partnerships have also been key in ensuring that Rwanda’s circular economy roadmap launched in 2022 moves from planning to measurable action. The roadmap focuses on four priority sectors: agriculture, waste, water, and construction.

A representative from the Ministry of Environment described how the government has embedded circular principles into key sectoral policies, from electronic waste management to construction and sanitation. “Our priority has been creating an enabling environment,” they explained. “Every new policy now includes circular economy objectives and we’re backing this with pilot projects in secondary cities to demonstrate how it works in practice.”

These pilots, developed in collaboration with partners like the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and GIZ, include sorting and composting facilities to turn waste into valuable materials. The ministry also highlighted Rwanda’s role as a founding member of the Africa Circular Economy Alliance, and as co-chair of the global platform for Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency. “This international collaboration strengthens our local implementation,” they said. “It’s about learning from others, but also showing what’s possible from Rwanda.”

The Business of Circular Food

The private sector’s growing participation was visible throughout the panel. Entrepreneurs such as Amani Twagirayezu, founder of Triumvirate, and Diane Niyorugero of MNB, shared how circular principles guide their work in agri-processing and food innovation. Both are among a new generation of Rwandan entrepreneurs transforming sustainability from theory into profitable practice.

Twagirayezu’s company is developing nutrient-rich products from by-products that would otherwise go to waste, while Niyorugero’s enterprise focuses on turning food residues into valuable inputs for farming. “Circularity is not a luxury, it’s a business model,” Niyorugero said. “When we close the loop, we create value and resilience at the same time.”

A Shared Commitment

Denmark’s Ambassador to Rwanda, H.E. Mr. Casper Stenger Jensen, commended Rwanda’s leadership and collaborative spirit. “Circular food systems offer a pathway to sustainable growth,” he said, “and Rwanda’s progress provides inspiration for the region and beyond.”

As the event drew to a close, there was a sense of momentum in the room, a recognition that the circular economy is no longer an abstract concept but a living strategy being built from farms, factories, and policy halls alike.

In the words of WRI’s Eric Ruzigamanzi, “Transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when government, business, and communities come together and Rwanda is showing how that’s done.”