Feed the Future DRC Strengthening Value Chains Activity – FY2018 Annual Report

The program aims to strengthen value chains in the coffee sector, with a focus on improving production, processing, and sales opportunities for smallholder farmers. The program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and operates under the Feed the Future initiative. The program's main objective is to increase the income and productivity of smallholder coffee farmers in the DRC. To achieve this goal, the program focuses on four key components: building capacity of vertical and horizontal actors in targeted value chains, enhancing coffee production, developing and implementing public-private partnerships, and enhancing access to finance. The program also prioritizes crosscutting initiatives, including gender, conflict and resilience, climate smart agriculture, and value chain and market systems development. In the fiscal year 2018, the program made significant progress in building the capacity of smallholder farmers. The program also introduced new coffee varieties, improved production and processing techniques, and provided access to finance modalities and sales opportunities. The program's technical progress was also notable, with key accomplishments including the establishment of a coffee processing facility, the development of a coffee quality control system, and the implementation of a coffee marketing strategy. The program's collaboration with development partners, including USAID implementing partners, the Government of DRC, and other development actors, was also significant, with partnerships established to support the program's objectives. Despite the progress made, the program faced several constraints and challenges, including limited access to land titles and productive assets for women farmers, conflict and insecurity in some areas, and limited access to finance for smallholder farmers. The program's lessons learned and recommendations for future implementation include the need to strengthen partnerships with local organizations, improve access to finance for smallholder farmers, and enhance the program's monitoring and evaluation systems. The program's conclusions highlight the importance of strengthening value chains in the coffee sector to improve the income and productivity of smallholder farmers in the DRC. The program's achievements demonstrate the potential for value chain development to contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in the region.