Introduction
ACRE Rwanda was incorporated in 2013 and is regulated as an Insurance Agent in Rwanda. ACRE Rwanda exists to provide insurance solutions that enable Rwandese smallholder farmers to access and benefit from affordable insurance products that mitigate their risks and unlock access to agricultural credit. The company evolved from the Kilimo Salama project that started in Rwanda in 2012 with a feasibility study and pilots. The Rwandese company is fully owned by ACRE Africa.
In 2012, Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR), with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), contracted Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA) to undertake a feasibility study investigating the potential of developing crop and livestock insurance in Rwanda. For the study, ten crop value chains were analysed for commercial potential and feasibility for insurance and then grouped by potential. Livestock came second after maize, narrowing down the priority value chains for ACRE Rwanda.
The ACRE Rwanda team works with farmers, cooperatives, aggregators, government officials and stakeholders along the priority value chain. It is critical all stakeholders clearly understand how the product works.
Background
Throughout Rwanda, smallholder farmers are facing the effects of climate change. According to the 2015 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis 2015 (CFSVA 2015), drought / irregular rains or prolonged dry spells were ranked number one among shocks causing smallholder food shortage/insecurity. Excessive or erratic rains and drought threaten the livelihoods of billions of farmers in developing nations.
These farmers who farm on 2 acres or less are among the most adversely affected by weather-related risks. After a bad season, they can lose their entire harvest, become indebted and lack the funds to buy quality seeds to start the next growing season. As a consequence, farmers are unlikely to invest in their farms and never make full productive use of their scarce land resources.