Enhancing Benefits to Small and Marginal Farmers by Linking Biodiversity to its Niche Markets: An External Evaluation Report

Background:

Linking Biodiversity to Niche Markets was a project that built on previous work by LI-BIRD on In-Situ Crop Conservation. While the previous project focuses on conservation of traditional varieties on farm, the current project attempted to scale up the conservation through the following strategies:
1. Create economic incentive to conserve traditional varieties.
2. Strengthen social and cultural value of traditional varieties.
3. Strengthen community-based management.

Purpose/objective:
1. Assess the effectiveness of the project in implementing the strategies.
2. Provide LI-BIRD with an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the project implementation in order to improve the strategies and the implementation.

Methodology:
1.Document review
2.Focus group interview of target groups,
3.Key informants, internal and external to the projects.

Key findings:
Strategy I Creating economic incentive to conserve traditional varieties and diversify genetic resources.
1. Links between conservation and marketing has been established in the working areas particularly for rice, taro, finger millet and buckwheat.
2. The market for traditional varieties has expanded, but could be strengthened.
3. There was too little attention on value-added products.
4. The project led to diversifed crops/livestock among the target groups.
5. The project achieved its objectives to increase income of the target group, mainly through promotion of livestock (local breeds). The success level on crops varies.
6. The work to increase productivity has been too inadequate compared with the knowledge and opportunity that exists.

Strategy II Strengthen Social and Cultural Value of Traditional Varieties
8. Public awareness at the community and national level on the value of agricultural diversity is significantly enhanced.
9. LI-BIRD is strong on education and training.
Strategy III Strengthen community-based management.
9. Women play major roles in groups.
10. Groups are not strong on self monitorign, analysis and assessment. Work on revolving fund and group-to-group mentoring should be better.

Recommendations:
1.Market Chain Analysis should be done.
2. Food processing technology such as sun-dry should be introduced.
3. Nutrition improvement through Home Garden approach should be expanded.
4. Project should give attention to seeds as potential commercial products.
5. Project should intensify the work on increasing productivity.
6. Revolving fund should be strengthened.
7. LI-BIRD should share its information more widely, possibly through establishment of a Virtual Resource Center to spread the information gained from its work with crop biodiversity.

Comments from the organisation, if any:
The project is closed, but some of the element has been selected to continue in a national project where LI-BIRD plays a role of trainers/facilitator to the Agriculture Deparment, who is the implementing activities. This is the effort to upscale the impact of the project and the work is now implemented in ten districts.