Abstract:

This report provides an independent assessment of Better Potato for Better Life (BPBL) project which was funded by USAID and implemented in Tigray and SNNPR by CIP and its partners: federal and regional research institutes, regional and woreda agriculture bureaus/offices, international and national NGOs, private sector potato and sweet potato seed multipliers and cooperatives or farmers’ groups. The evaluated project was implemented from October, 2009 to March 2014 (but extended till December 2014 on some components). The main goal of the project was to enhance the livelihoods of food insecure rural farmers in SNNP and Tigray regions through diversification of cropping systems, increasing potato and sweet potato productivity and strengthening potato and sweet potato value chains. It also aimed at strengthening the national capacity to create sustainable access of poor farmers to high quality potato and sweet potato planting materials, demonstrate the potential enhancement of incomes through establishment of profitable value chains and assure that at least 250,000 target households have improved food security and diet quality.