A more resilient future for smallholder avocado farmers in Rwanda: Harnessing Avocado Resources for Value Enhancement and Sustainability Transformation (HARVEST)
Rwanda’s Avocado Sector: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Growth
Avocado farming has become an important source of income for smallholder farmers across Rwanda. Yet, while avocados are grown throughout the country, the benefits for farmers remain limited. Post-harvest losses are high, with much of the fruit spoiling before sales. Many farmers lack access to reliable buyers, or the knowledge and inputs needed to maintain healthy trees and achieve good yields. Without well-organized market systems or collection centers, farmers often sell at low prices to informal brokers or fail to sell at all.
At the same time, Rwanda’s growing avocado oil sector faces its own constraints. Global demand for avocado oil is increasing, but processors struggle to secure consistent, traceable supplies that meet export standards. Buyers in Europe and beyond expect proof of sustainable and responsible sourcing. Meeting these expectations requires stronger links across the entire value chain, from farmers and cooperatives to processors and exporters.
Partnering for Sustainable Agribusiness: building strong African supply chains with Avocado Oil Industries, Trade Link Global and One Acre Fund
The HARVEST project (Harnessing Avocado Resources for Value Enhancement and Sustainability Transformation), was developed to address these challenges. It focuses on strengthening every stage of the avocado value chain to make it more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient.
The project brings together organizations working across the avocado value chain in Rwanda, each contributing a specific area of expertise.
Avocado Oil Industries (AOI) is Rwanda’s leading processor of avocado oil. By purchasing avocados from smallholder farmers and cooperatives, they provide a stable outlet for local production and helps reduce losses that occur when fruit remains unsold.
Trade Link Global, a Dutch importer and distributor, connects Rwandan and other African avocado products to international markets. They ensure that products meet the quality, safety, and sustainability requirements of buyers in Europe, the United States, and other high-value markets.
One Acre Fund works directly with smallholder farmers to improve productivity and soil health. Through access to quality inputs, training in good agricultural practices, and support on climate-resilient methods, they help farmers increase yields and strengthen the overall supply of avocados and other crops.
Marula Proteen adds a circular component to the partnership by converting organic waste, such as avocado processing byproducts, into nutrient-rich fertilizer using Black Soldier Fly technology. This approach improves waste management for processors while providing farmers with an affordable, high-quality soil amendment.
The partnership is coordinated by the TRAIDE Foundation, which supports responsible investment and value chain development. TRAIDE helps ensure that the collaboration remains aligned, practical, and focused on long-term sustainability.
Avocado Impact Centers: Improving Market Access and Reducing Post-Harvest Losses
The partnership aims to set up four ‘avocado impact centers’ throughout Rwanda to efficiently deliver training, and organize distribution. Tactical placement of these four centers throughout the country helps reach a maximum number of smallholders. With 67.3% of Rwandese households involved in avocado cultivation the potential for impact is huge.
Each hub will serve as a center for training, input distribution, and fruit collection. Farmers will receive training on pruning, pest management, harvest timing, and orchard maintenance. They will also gain access to improved seedlings and fertilizers, to enhance productivity.
Crucially, the hubs will also act as structured collection points where farmers can sell their fruit, including overripe or imperfect avocados that would otherwise go to waste. By processing this fruit into avocado oil, Avocado Oil Industries turns potential losses into income, creating a stable market for smallholders and a reliable supply for the processor.
Sustainability is central to this approach. Rwanda’s sloped terrain and heavy rainfall make soil erosion and fertility loss serious risks. To address this, One Acre Fund provides farmers with training in soil management and fertilizer use, while Marula Proteen converts avocado waste from processing into high-quality organic fertilizer using black soldier fly technology. This circular model returns nutrients to the soil and reduces environmental impact, turning waste into a resource for productivity.
HARVEST also supports farmers in preparing for Rainforest Alliance certification, enabling access to premium markets that reward sustainable practices. For processors, this means a more stable and traceable supply chain; for farmers, it means better prices, more consistent buyers, and a stronger link to global markets.
The project’s benefits extend beyond the farm. Formal jobs at Avocado Oil Industries provide fair wages, safe working conditions, and opportunities for women, who already make up the majority of the company’s workforce. The new hubs will create additional employment in rural areas, strengthening local economies.
By connecting farmers, businesses, and development partners, HARVEST is building a value chain that is not only more competitive but also more equitable and sustainable. In doing so, it is helping to secure a future where Rwanda’s avocados drive both economic opportunity and social progress, turning local harvests into global impact.
If you would like to learn more about the HARVEST partnership, or if you have a promising idea for a private-sector initiative that could strengthen sustainable (agri)business in Africa, our team would be glad to connect. Reach out to us to explore how we can turn impactful ideas into reality!
