By Jean Christian IHIRWE
Across Rwanda’s cassava belt, harvests have whiplashed for more than a decade as cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD) hollowed out yields and incomes. CBSD was first reported in Rwanda in 2009; within five years, incidence surged from 18.5% (2012) to 69% (2014), contributing to severe seed shortages and yield collapse.
A turning point arrived in February 2024, when Rwanda enacted a Biosafety Law to regulate the safe handling, testing and potential release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). With a clear legal pathway in place, the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) announced plans to pilot three biotech crops—cassava, Irish potato and maize—on farmers’ fields by end-2025 to assess performance and benefits before any national rollout.
The pilot aligns with the Rwanda Agricultural Biotechnology Programme, a five-year public-private collaboration (launched October 2024) involving RAB, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and partners such as CIP and the Danforth Center, to develop high-yielding, pest- and disease-resistant cassava, maize and potato for smallholders.
Why cassava first? It is a national staple grown by hundreds of thousands of family farms, yet highly vulnerable to viral disease. Resistant biotech lines—evaluated under Rwanda’s biosafety framework—could stabilize yields, reduce crop losses and restore confidence among growers in districts like Ruhango, Nyanza, Bugesera and Huye, long hit by CBSD and CMD. Rigorous, stepwise testing (confined trials → environmental release → monitored scaling) is designed to verify safety, effectiveness and farmer value while addressing public concerns.
Myth-busting matters. Common claims that “GMOs cause infertility” or “alter human DNA” are not supported by regulatory science; Rwanda’s law mandates case-by-case risk assessment, traceability and safeguards to protect people and biodiversity. Farmer-facing communication—through extension, radio and field days—will be central to building trust as evidence emerges from local plots.
If the pilots confirm strong performance against CBSD/CMD, Rwanda could have a new tool to de-risk cassava—supporting household food security and rural incomes—while continuing to invest in clean seed systems and agronomic best practices. After a decade defined by disease, a data-driven comeback is now within reach.
