Strengthening Potato Innovation Systems for Smallholders

Project Closing Conference – August 11–12, 2022

The closing conference marked the conclusion of a multi‑year initiative aimed at strengthening Ethiopia’s potato sector. The project focused on supporting smallholder farmers to adopt improved varieties and management practices, thereby increasing productivity, household incomes, and food security.

Project Purpose

The initiative sought to build a resilient potato innovation system by improving farmer access to climate‑smart technologies, enhancing the capacity of national research institutions, and establishing a sustainable seed production and distribution network.

Key Outputs

• Improved varieties: Development and local supply of disease‑resistant, climate‑adapted potato varieties.
• Seed production efficiency: Strengthened early generation seed production systems.
• Capacity building: Enhanced technical skills of farmer seed grower cooperatives.
• Technology validation: Proven methods scaled to resource‑poor smallholders.
• Gender inclusion: Mainstreamed approaches ensuring equitable access to knowledge and technology.
• Partnerships: Improved coordination among research institutions, policymakers, private sector actors, and NGOs.

Conference Objectives

The closing event provided a platform to:

• Share achievements against project targets.
• Present lessons learned and highlight areas for improvement in future interventions.
• Strengthen collaboration among stakeholders in Ethiopia’s potato sector.
• Fulfill partner requirements for final feedback before project closure.

Participants

Delegates included experts from agricultural research, seed regulation, policy, extension services, private seed producers, NGOs, and potato processing companies. Representatives came from Amhara, Oromia, and SNNP regions, covering 13 districts and 80 kebeles. The project directly reached around 40,000 smallholder farmers with improved seed and production technologies.

Conclusion

The conference reaffirmed the importance of continued investment in potato research, innovation, and seed systems. Stakeholders emphasized that strengthening collaboration and scaling proven technologies will be critical to sustaining progress and ensuring Ethiopia’s potato sector contributes to food security, income generation, and rural development.