Jumpstarting Orange-fleshed Sweetpotato in West Africa through Diversified Marketsis a three-year project. It partners with a diversity of NGO and public sector actors to target both informal and formal markets in each country. We are working towards four major outcomes at each target location: 1) to establish commercial sweetpotato seed systems to provide clean planting material year round, 2) to develop formal and informal markets for OFSP, 3) to enable farmers including women, to participate in OFSP value chains and 4) to increase consumption of OFSP and other vitamin A-rich foods by vulnerable target populations, particularly women and children under the age of five.  In each location, we are working with an array of partners, relevant government agencies and NGOs, to identify markets, organize farmers into groups capable of serving those markets, and access inputs and credit, if required.  By conducting awareness and demand creation campaigns at the local level and advocating for OFSP for food and nutrition security at all levels, demand is created in both formal and informal markets.  In each area, building capacity to achieve project outcomes is a key element of project activities, as is building the partnerships to ensure and replicate success.   

Project Leader: Erna Abidin

Project Members: Koussao Some, Janet Trucker, Kwabena Acheremu, Brian Kiger, Francis Amagloh, Esi Amoaful, Jude Njoku, Justus Lotade-Manje, Ibok Oduro, Joseph Nchor, Soeleimane Adekambi, Tope Fatumnbi, Eric Dery, Marian Quain, Ted Carey