Final performance evaluation of the Feed the Future Ethiopian value chain activity

Implemented by Fintrac, VCA’s purpose is to improve agriculture sector performance in the coffee, chickpea, maize, dairy, poultry, and meat and live animals value chains (VCs) in Tigray; Amhara; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region; and Oromia. To date VCA has surpassed its overall life of activity outreach targets. The Activity has had a positive impact on cooperative membership and opportunities, and leadership for women and youth, while improved production and post-production methods have helped smallholder farmers improve their market access. VCA’s work with diverse market actors as critical entry points is an effective approach that has yielded positive results. The USAID Development Finance Corporation outreach to VCA beneficiaries, especially smallholders, has been limited. VCA’s partnership strategy succeeded in increasing VC effectiveness by bringing the government, private sector, and smallholders together to improve VC performance. VCA has contributed to improving a range of production outcomes among smallholders and to increased diversification of agriculture and non-agriculture income generating activities. VCA demonstrated flexible and adaptable management that enabled it to respond effectively to emerging needs, while its pandemic response was aggressive and proactive. There remain serious obstacles to Activity sustainability, especially lack of continued government support, civil instability, and lack of access to finance and foreign exchange.