Platform for African – European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

WEBINAR: Impacts of small loans on the adaptive capacity of farmers in Rwanda


Video recording forthcoming

Climate change poses serious risks for rural livelihoods and food security in Rwanda. At the same time, a significant number of Rwandan farmers pool their resources together through cooperatives and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in order to increase productivity. 

Therefore, it is important to consider on the one hand the future impacts of climate change on the microfinance sector in Rwanda, and on the other to ensure that the benefits of microfinance can decrease rural residents’ vulnerability to climate impacts.

This event will provide an overview of research focused on the clients of Urwego Bank, one of Opportunity International UK’s local partners in a development project funded by the Scottish Government which aimed to provide microcredit loans to 8,500 smallholder farmers working in government-supported agricultural cooperatives. We will explore the impacts of small loans on the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of farmers in southern and western Rwanda (Huye and Rubavu districts) along with its implications for climate justice and discuss the recommendations included in the final report.
  • Dr Karin Helwig, Glasgow Caledonian University
  • Dr Michael Mikulewicz, Glasgow Caledonian University
  • Pete Parisetti, Opportunity International UK

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