Project in Rwanda
Rwanda Enhancement for Enabling Policy Support to the Dairy Sector
Timeframe: October 2019 - June 2021
Funding: USAID
Principal investigator (PI) and lead institution
- Ronald M. Gordon, Courtesy Professor, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida
Co-PI and collaborator institutions
- Arie H. Havelaar, Professor, Emerging Pathogens Institute, Department of Animal Sciences/IFAS,University of Florida
- Jean Paul Hategekimana, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, College of Agriculture Animal Sciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Rwanda
Results
Research Brief. Gordon, R., VanSickle, J.J., and Havelaar, A.H. 2023. Perspectives on Policy Support to the Rwanda Dairy Sector. Gainesville, FL, USA: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems.
Sapp, A.C., Amaya, M.P., Havelaar, A.H., and Nane, G.F. 2022. Attribution of country level foodborne disease to food group and food types in three African countries: Conclusions from a structured expert judgment study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 16(9): e0010663. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010663
Sapp, A.C., Nane, G.F., Amaya, M.P., Niyonzima, E., Hategekimana, J.P., VanSickle, J.J., Gordon, R.M. and Havelaar, A.H. 2023. Estimates of disease burden caused by foodborne pathogens in contaminated dairy products in Rwanda. BMC Public Health 23, 657. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15204-x
Project Plan
This project intends to analyze and develop policy options to enhance milk and milk products in Rwanda. Observation in the country indicates that there is a growing demand for processed milk products.
One major concern is the consumption of unprocessed milk. Risk analyses related to unprocessed milk will seek to understand levels of contamination by several known pathogens. Secondly, an analysis will examine the milk value chain across the entire marketing chain, including farmers, transporters, milk collection centers, and milk processing establishments.
Methods
International and national experts will be assembled and surveyed in a structured manner, using Cooke’s Classical Model. This model provides quantitative information from expert scoring. Qualitative data will be gathered through structured questionnaires with various actors in the marketing chain. Four students from the University of Rwanda will serve as enumerators.
More Information
October 2020 research update GORDON VGM (Virtual General Meeting)
Related Projects
This research project builds upon three projects focused on the increased production of milk in the country. These projects are:
- Enhancing the Quality and Consumption of Milk for Improved Income and Nutrition in Rwanda
- Milk Production Practices, Udder Health and their Impact On Milk Quality, Safety and Processability in Rwanda
- Challenges of Implementing Modern Milk Quality Standards in Developing Countries: Case of Rwanda
Together, these projects represent an in-depth investigation of the practices and policies affecting the dairy sector in Rwanda.
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems is part of Feed the Future
