Impacts of Improved Bean Varieties Adoption on Dietary Diversity and Food Security in Rwanda

Abstract

Bean is a key staple crop in Rwanda; it is produced by nearly all rural households and consumed most days, making bean an important source of calorie, protein, and micronutrient. Consequently, substantial investment has been devoted to the development and promotion of improved bean varieties to enhance food security via increased productivity. The study evaluates the impact of improved bean variety adoption on household dietary diversity, food security, and food consumption groups among smallholder bean farmers. Improved bean varieties adoption has a positive impact on dietary diversity and reduces food insecurity, which likely occurs through the income effect resulting from the high yielding properties of these varieties. Increased dietary diversity among adopters is associated with a higher likelihood of consuming cereals, fish & seafood, and fats. These findings provide evidence that bean research and dissemination efforts can improve the food security of bean farmers in Rwanda.