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Abstract
There have been major shifts/changes in land use patterns in Rwanda over the past
twelve years. A few striking observations include: As a percentage of total farmland, cultivated
land increased. The increase in cultivated land occurred at the expense of pasture and fallow
and woodlot. The share of pasture and fallow decreased from 22% in 1990 to 14% in 2002 and
woodlot decreased from 11% in 1990 to 7% in 2002. This trend of increasing cultivated land is
apparent from the mid-eighties to today. These observations imply that land is being farmed much
more intensively without much time to fallow and allow the soil to rejuvenate. Pasture and
woodlot are also being cut down at the expense of cultivation. This has important potential
implications for productivity as well as for the environment. Average calorie production per
person per day in Rwanda is believed to have dropped significantly during the war period, and then
has increased on average in 2002 to levels near those measured in 1984. The rural population
dependent on the land has increased some 27% since 1984.