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PR, IFPRI3; HarvestPlus; ISI, HarvestPlus; Innovation Policy and Scaling (IPS); Transformation Strategies

Native potato production is an important livelihood strategy for most rural Andean families. An inclusive value chain development approach triggered innovation processes in Peru’s potato sector, benefiting small-scale producers and value chain actors and improving theirlivelihoods, although the magnitude of the effects on poverty reduction remains to be determined, La producción de papa nativa es una de las estrategias para generar ingresos y mejorar el bienestar para la mayoría de las familias rurales andinas. Un enfoque de desarrollo inclusivo de la cadena de valor desencadenó procesos de innovación en el sector dela papa en el Perú, contribuyendo a las estrategias de desarrollo de los medios de vida de los agricultores andinos y actores de la cadena de mercado, aunque la magnitud específica de los efectos en la reducción de la pobreza aún está por determinarse

Background Limited analysis has been conducted of the role of agricultural research in promoting Chinese agricultural growth in less-favored areas. This paper analyzes how a particular potato variety generates benefits to producers and discusses how these benefits may have contributed to poverty reduction in Yunnan province. Cooperation 88 (C88) is a high-yielding, late blight-resistant variety that was developed through a partnership between the International Potato Center and Yunnan Normal University in Kunming, China. Methods Qualitative and quantitative methods are used to analyze determinants of adoption of C88, and to estimate impacts of adoption on producer well-being. A unique farm-household database is used to document the determinants of C88 adoption and disadoption. The quantitative assessment is supplemented with a qualitative analysis of the potato value chain to understand how seed availability and concern for processing attributes contributed to and eventually constrained diffusion. Market-level information was used in an economic surplus model to quantify the substantial economic impact of C88 over 20 years since its release. Results C88 spread rapidly in Yunnan following its release and was widely adopted by commercially oriented farmers. Disadoption began after 2010 with limited seed availability driving the shift toward newer varieties. Farmers, however, appreciate the ease of marketing, the 15% higher yields, and late-blight resistance associated with C88 suggesting that seed constraints are countervailing the economic benefits of the variety. Total impact on Yunnan potato farmers of the variety was estimated to be around $2.5 billion for the 1996-2015 period. Conclusions On per-person terms among C88 growing farm households, the economic advantage of the variety is likely to have contributed to poverty reduction. The aggregate impact of C88 diffusion occurred during a period of rapid poverty reduction in Yunnan and yield and disease-resistance b

Non-PR, IFPRI5; CRP3.4; CRP2; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; Capacity Strengthening, DSGD; PIM, CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tuber, and Bananas (RTB); CGIAR Research Programs on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), Farmers who grow vegetatively propagated crops (VPC) face certain limitations in access to seed. Some of these constraints are related to policy, institutions and markets. This user guide describes a tool for conducting seed regulatory framework analysis for VPCs. It addresses quality assurance models (e.g. seed certification) and other regulations that can increase availability and access to quality VPC seed for smallholders. The methods used to collect and analyze the data include literature reviews, analysis of regulatory documents, focus group discussions and validation workshops. Stakeholder consultations through standardized key informant interviews are especially important. The resulting analysis is used to advise policy makers and regulatory bodies.

Non-PR, IFPRI5; CRP3.4; CRP2; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; Capacity Strengthening, DSGD; PIM, CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tuber, and Bananas (RTB); CGIAR Research Programs on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), Potato ranks second staple food crop in Kenya. The Government seeks rapid yield growth in the potato subsector, however with only 2% of potato seed planted currently certified there is a persistent shortage of quality seed. There is no consensus on an appropriate model for quality seed assurance which can ensure increased availability and access to quality seed by smallholder farmers, while minimizing risk of spread of plant diseases. This study addressed the question of whether the current seed regulatory framework in Kenya and its implementation meets the need for increased availability and access to quality seed potato, for who, and with what consequences? Secondary data and policy analysis were complemented by semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions involving 72 stakeholders from public, private and civil society conducted in the major potato production areas, and at national level. Our findings show a range of different actors have different and sometimes conflicting interests. Seed potato needs to be produced on a large-scale with enough land and resources to meet rotation and isolation standards and inspection costs. However, this has implications for equitable participation in the seed potato industry. Current regulatory and inspection procedures are perceived by small-scale seed producers as policing rather than facilitating quality seed production. This highlights compromises between achieving short term food security and managing risk of spread of plant diseases. The feasibility of different approaches to manage bacterial wilt and potato cyst nematode are discussed with implications for different scales of seed production. Several policy options are reviewed, with their trade-offs, emphasising the need to for inclusive stakeholder consultations to negotiate towards a common interest space.

PR, IFPRI3; CRP2; CRP3.4; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry, DSGD; PIM, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM); CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tuber, and Bananas (RTB), Seed systems for vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs) are frequently governed by regulatory blueprints designed for major cereal crops. This approach tends to disregard the distinct biological characteristics of VPCs, thus limiting farmers’ access to high-quality planting material and increasing the risk of pest and disease transmission. In this paper, we ask what type of regulatory framework is appropriate for improving farmers’ access to quality VPC planting material and what the costs, benefits, risks, and unintended consequences are of alternative regulations. We explore this in the context of cassava (Manihot esculenta) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) in Vietnam through secondary data, key informant interviews, and focus-group discussions. Findings indicate that despite a regulatory regime that imposes strict rules on the production and trade of planting material for VPCs, the market is largely unregulated because of weak enforcement capacity. Instead, producers and traders of VPC planting material signal quality to farmers through trust, reputation, and long-term relationships. Though effective at a localized scale, these informal systems are unlikely to accommodate expansion of the cassava and potato sectors and unlikely to prove effective in managing increases in pest and disease pressures that result from cross-border trade or climate change. We discuss alternative policy approaches and argue that the most appropriate policy regime requires a careful balance between a permissive regime at the local level and strict regulatory surveillance and enforcement at the national and regional levels. These approaches provide lessons for other developing countries where VPCs are important for economic growth and agricultural development.

Non-PR, IFPRI1; CRP2; CRP3.4; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; 5 Strengthening Institutions and Governance, EPTD; DSGD; PIM, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM); CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tuber, and Bananas (RTB), In many developing countries, smallholder farmers cultivating vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs) have limited access to quality planting material. This constraint can limit both the yield of and returns on VPC cultivation. Yet policy and regulatory initiatives designed to strengthen access to quality VPC planting materials have been relatively unsuccessful to date. Part of the problem is the unique biological and economic characteristics of vegetative propagation and its distinctness from cereal crops, which dominate narratives on seed system reforms. Drawing on qualitative analysis of policy and practice, this study examines reform options related to quality assurance regulations in four crop-country combinations: cassava in Nigeria and Vietnam, and potato in Kenya and Vietnam. The study highlights theory and evidence on existing models of regulation; alternative models that may better incentivize cost-effective multiplication and distribution; and recommendations for policy, regulation, and investment in VPC seed markets. Findings indicate that regulations designed around strict and centralized quality control systems tend to limit market size, while more localized production systems are limited by both capacity and reach. These findings suggest the need for alternatives that balance a permissive regulatory regime with decentralized production systems, grassroots capacity development, market surveillance, and systems that integrate internal (producer-level) quality assurance with external (regulatory) quality assurance.