The majority of Rwandans make a living through small-scale subsistence farming. Many households, however, still find it difficult to get adequate food because of limited access to productive land, and emerging staple crop diseases. To support Rwandans' ability to fight hunger and malnutrition, Catholic Relief Services carries out various agricultural programs. The Great Lakes Cassava Initiative, a project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, improves the food security of farming families in 6 countries, including Rwanda, by providing them with disease-resistant cassava plants. The goal is to eradicate the present cassava mosaic disease and emerging cassava brown streak disease that threaten the self-sufficiency and incomes of cassava farmers.

CRS has also introduced "farmer field schools," groups of farmers who experiment with agricultural techniques and then spread the word about the practices that best increase their harvests. We work with partners to identify and improve ways farmers can connect to markets and get better prices for their crops. CRS pays particular attention to women farmers and family farmers.

HIV affects millions of Rwandans, including those who actually have the virus and the many children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Catholic Relief Services supports projects that provide care and treatment, promote education and prevention, and offer assistance to orphans and households affected by HIV. These initiatives empower individuals and communities to prevent the spread of HIV and help those touched by the pandemic.

CRS Rwanda's integrated food security projects improve the livelihoods of rural households affected by HIV by training them in farming techniques and providing farmers with seeds and small livestock. These projects also helps increase availability of services to people with HIV and orphans and vulnerable children. They help cooperatives of people with HIV to provide high-quality services to their members, and improve the nutrition of infants and mothers enrolled in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programs.