| Project Detail |
The overall goal of the project is to contribute to improved nutrition and incomes in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda through profitable and vibrant orange-fleshed sweetpotato-based value chains. The project promotes the commercialization of purée products by creating demand and adding value in baked and fried food products. Specifically, it will seek to:
increase the productivity and production of orangefleshed sweetpotato among smallholder farmers linked to processing activities;
establish sweetpotato purée processing capacity in commercial enterprises in Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda.
develop market chains for sweetpotato purée-based bakery products in the above countries; and
pilot a long-life (shelf-stable life of 12-24 months) sweetpotato purée for use in bakeries, culinary establishments (coffee shops, hotels and restaurants), and for ready-to-eat food formulations in Kenya, using hot-fill thermal processing technology.
Approach
The project will be implemented using a model successfully developed by Euro-Ingredients Limited, the International Potato Center (CIP) and partners in Kenya.
To fully exploit the benefits of orange-fleshed sweetpotato, a strategy of innovative market creation will be pursued to stimulate the consumption of healthy sweetpotato products. The project supports small- and mediumscale enterprises to think of new ways to develop value proposition and business models. As well as securing the financial sustainability of primary producers, particularly women smallholders, the improved accessibility of technologies and markets for sweetpotato purée will in turn boost employment and economic growth.
Phase I of the project will develop a commercially viable sweetpotato-purée prototype. Phase II will comprise work on equipment, factory design and food product development and research on consumer acceptance and willingness to pay in target markets, as well as on gender and nutritional impact. Project partners will work with purée processors in the participating countries to validate the commercial viability of key products. During phase III, capacity for purée production will be established in existing commercial food processing enterprises in Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda with purée bakery products launched and promoted for rapid uptake. Finally, phase IV will pilot the thermal processing of sweetpotato to make a purée that has a 12–24-month shelf-life at ambient conditions without the use of preservatives. |
