África: Potato cultivation programme lifting people out of poverty in Africa

Vita recognises a new approach is required that enables development partners to create equitable and sustainable potato value chains if the potential of potatoes as a food crop in Africa is to be realised.The Coalition is a means of developing, sharing and scaling best practices and models to maximise the potential benefit that potatoes provide to rural communities.

It is a means of developing, sharing and scaling best practices and models to maximise the potential benefit that potatoes provide to rural communities.

The founding partners of the Potato Centre of Excellence are Vita, Gama Gofa Zonal Administration, the International Potato Centre, Arba Minch University, Teagasc, Wageningen and the Irish Potato Federation.

Based on its work on potatoes with CIP and local partners, Vita recognised the potential that potatoes can provide as a staple food. We also recognised that there are many barriers to realising this potential and that a new approach was required to overcome these to create and sustainable and well-functioning potato value chains.

The coalition provides an innovative vehicle to achieve this by enabling a team of people to promote collaboration and best practices around a specific focus area to drive results.

The pilot programme is based in Gama Gofa in the Southern Region of Ethiopia with the immediate objective of improving livelihoods of 100,000 farmers through effective use of potatoes (new seed, better planting techniques, better use of fertiliser and management of pest and disease).

Vita acts as the driver to coordinate a six country Potato Coalition covering Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique and Kenya. The Coalition involves Irish and international NGOs together with CIP and various science and business partners. This is a very ambitious venture that will enable rapid knowledge sharing and lessons learned and will develop a common framework to work with for all partners.