{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T10:01:01Z","timestamp":1787047261508,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]],"date-time":"2021-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1626998400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:p>The dairy sector in Rwanda plays a key role in improving nutrition and generating income mostly for rural households. Despite the Rwandan 1994 genocide that left around 80% of dairy cows decimated, the dairy sector has experienced significant growth in the past two decades through government, development organisations, and donor programs, and through the nascent vibrant public\u2013private partnership. In this paper, we reviewed and documented the evolution of the dairy policies, programs, and regulations in Rwanda and how they have contributed to the development of the dairy sector. The policy change has impacted the provision and use of inputs and services that have shaped the sector's milk production and productivity, milk quality, and demand. The results suggest that various policy- and program-level interventions have positively contributed to the growth of the dairy sector and improved the livelihoods of low-income households. This has been achieved through increased access to inputs and services, enhanced capacities of the public and private sector to deliver services, strengthened dairy cooperatives' governance, and increased value proposition to members of various farmer groups and promotion of milk consumption. We find that some of the implemented policies and programs, such as the \u201cGirinka\u201d (one cow per poor family) program, Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II, and Rwanda Dairy Development Project, have resulted in improved farmer access to improved cow breeds and improved milk quality and cow productivity through enhanced health inputs and other services. While the dairy policies, programs, and regulations in Rwanda have paved the way for the development of the dairy sector and contributed to the provision and use of inputs and services, there are still challenges that need to be addressed. Accessibility and use of veterinary and artificial insemination services are limited by the quality of veterinary products, while the inadequate quality of feeds leads to low productivity of improved cow breeds. Consequently, farmers' uptake and use of inputs and services can be enhanced through a strengthened capacity of milk collection centres and health and animal feed policies that guide and control the quality of veterinary products and feeds sold in the markets.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2021.611298","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]],"date-time":"2021-07-23T12:03:31Z","timestamp":1627041811000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":22,"title":["A Review of the Evolution of Dairy Policies and Regulations in Rwanda and Its Implications on Inputs and Services Delivery"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Naphtal","family":"Habiyaremye","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emily Awuor","family":"Ouma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nadhem","family":"Mtimet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gideon Aiko","family":"Obare","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1016\/j.worlddev.2016.11.013","article-title":"Learning from success: how Rwanda achieved the millennium development goals for health","volume":"92","author":"Abbott","year":"2017","journal-title":"World Dev."},{"key":"B2","unstructured":"BizozaAR\n            SimonsA\n          Chronic Poverty Advisory Network: Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Rwanda2019"},{"key":"B3","volume-title":"Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II: Efficiency Gains of Dairy Production Systems Strongly Decrease GHG Emission Intensity","author":"Grewer","year":"2016"},{"key":"B4","unstructured":"Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources: Annual report 2018\u221220192019"},{"key":"B5","unstructured":"Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources: Annual report 2017 \u2013 20182018"},{"key":"B6","first-page":"14","article-title":"Contribution of agricultural export to economic growth in Rwanda: the case of coffee, tea and flowers","volume":"3","author":"Chantal","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Econ Trade."},{"key":"B7","unstructured":"Rwanda Dairy Development Project: Detailed Design Report2016"},{"key":"B8","unstructured":"Rwanda Livestock Master Plan2017"},{"key":"B9","volume-title":"Gender Assessment of Dairy Value Chains: Evidence From Rwanda","author":"Umuzigambeho","year":"2017"},{"key":"B10","volume-title":"Rwanda Dairy Industry Strategic Plan (ISP)","year":"2019"},{"key":"B11","unstructured":"Milk Safety: increasing quality and consumption in Rwanda14\n            ReeveS\n          Spore.1842017"},{"key":"B12","volume-title":"Public Policy-Making","author":"Anderson","year":"1975"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jebo.2014.07.008","article-title":"Livestock asset transfers with and without training: evidence from Rwanda","volume":"108","author":"Argent","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Econ Behav Organ."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.4314\/rj.v4i1.6B","article-title":"Exploring the success and challenges of the Girinka 1 programme and the need for social work involvement: Southern Province, Rwanda","volume":"4","author":"Hahirwa","year":"2017","journal-title":"Rwanda J."},{"key":"B15","unstructured":"Indigenous knowledge, economic empowerment and entrepreneurship in Rwanda: the Girinka approach24163\n            EzeanyaC\n          J Pan Afr Stud.62014"},{"key":"B16","first-page":"1213","article-title":"Impact of social protection programs on economic resilience of poor households in Eastern Province of Rwanda","volume-title":"Fourth International Scientific Symposium \u201cAgrosym 2013\u201d, Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3-6 October, 2013. Book of Proceedings","author":"Militery","year":"2013"},{"key":"B17","volume-title":"One Cow Per Poor Family: Effects on Consumption and Crop Production in Rwanda","author":"Nilsson","year":"2017"},{"key":"B18","unstructured":"Updating the Master Plan of the Milk Chain in Rwanda2009"},{"key":"B19","unstructured":"LandO'Lakes I\n          Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II (RDCP II): Impact Report2017"},{"key":"B20","unstructured":"LandO'Lakes I\n          Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Program II (RDCP II): Final Report2017"},{"key":"B21","unstructured":"National Diary Strategy2013"},{"key":"B22","unstructured":"Got Milk Lessons? Key Take-Aways from Dairy Projects in Rwanda2015"},{"key":"B23","unstructured":"Rwanda Agriculture Board: Annual Report 2016 \u2013 2172017"},{"key":"B24","unstructured":"Ministerial Order Regulating the Collection, Transportation and Selling of Milk2016"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"974","DOI":"10.22214\/ijraset.2018.6144","article-title":"Analysis of institutional factors influencing farmer's choice of milk marketing channel in Rwanda","volume":"6","author":"Shema","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Res Appl Sci Eng Technol."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gfs.2018.08.006","article-title":"Beyond food safety: socio-economic effects of training informal dairy vendors in Kenya","volume":"18","author":"Alonso","year":"2018","journal-title":"Glob Food Security."},{"key":"B27","volume-title":"Factors Influencing South-Western Uganda Dairy Farmers' Choice of the Milk Marketing Channel: A Case Study of Kirihura District South Western Uganda","author":"Sikawa","year":"2011"},{"key":"B28","unstructured":"zLegitimizing informal markets: a case study of the dairy sector in Kenya\n            BlackmoreE\n            AlonsoS\n            GraceD\n          London, UKIIEDIIED Briefing Paper2015"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.14303\/ajfst.2015.053","article-title":"Microbiological analysis of raw milk in Rwanda","volume":"6","author":"Doyle","year":"2015","journal-title":"Afr J Food Sci Technol."},{"key":"B30","unstructured":"EAST AFRICA DAIRY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: Fostering sustainable dairy markets2018"},{"key":"B31","first-page":"85","article-title":"Effects of Rwanda Dairy Development Project on the livelihood of dairy farmers in the Western Province of Rwanda","volume":"9","author":"Taiwo","year":"2019","journal-title":"Afr J Sustain Dev."},{"key":"B32","unstructured":"MiklyaevM\n            AfraS\n            SchultzM\n          Cost-Benefit Analysis of Rwanda's Dairy Value Chains, Development Discussion Papers2017"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"452","DOI":"10.1038\/nclimate2925","article-title":"Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials in the livestock sector","volume":"6","author":"Herrero","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nat Climate Change."},{"key":"B34","volume-title":"Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock: A Global Assessment of Emissions and Mitigation Opportunities","author":"Gerber","year":"2013"},{"key":"B35","first-page":"281","article-title":"Integrating informal actors into the formal dairy industry in Kenya through training and certification","volume-title":"International Livestock Research Institute. Towards Priority Actions for Market Development for African Farmers. Proceedings of an International Conference, Nairobi, Kenya, 13-15 May 2009","author":"Omore","year":"2011"},{"key":"B36","volume-title":"Informal Traders Lock Horns With the Formal Milk Industry: The Role of Research in Pro-poor Dairy Policy Shift in Kenya","author":"Leksmono","year":"2006"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Veterinary Science"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2021.611298\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]],"date-time":"2021-07-23T12:03:50Z","timestamp":1627041830000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2021.611298\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]]},"references-count":36,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fvets.2021.611298"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fvets.2021.611298","relation":{},"ISSN":["2297-1769"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2297-1769","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]]},"article-number":"611298"}}