Mid Term Evaluation Report for Passport to Coffee Export (PACE) Project, Tanzania

Overview

Mid-term evaluation of the 3.5-year, EU-funded Passport to Coffee Export (PACE) project. PACE is implemented by Solidaridad East and Central Africa with TaCRI and Envirocare, and works with 65 AMCOS and a planned 22,500 smallholder coffee farmers in Mbeya, Ruvuma and Songwe regions (Mbinga DC, Mbinga TC, Nyasa, Mbeya DC and Mbozi DC). Carried out in March-April 2023, it assessed progress on outcome and output indicators across four objectives: productivity and nutrition, incomes and jobs, export-oriented sales, and value addition and marketing. It also identified gaps and lessons for the remaining period.

Key findings

• Average cherry yield rose 13% over the baseline to 3.4 kg per tree, against an end target of 5 kg per tree (attainability rated medium).
• Average household income rose 14% over the baseline to TZS 4.66 million. Coffee's share of household income increased from 47.6% at baseline to 75.2%, and remittances fell from 19% to about 0.6%.
• 93.8% of households had high dietary diversity scores, but fewer than 54% consumed protein-rich foods (meat, eggs, fish, dairy).
• Nine demonstration sites were completed, and coffee processed through central pulping units (CPUs) reached 758 MT during the review period.
• As of December 2022, shares in the 75 Community Microfinance Groups totalled TZS 461.6 million, and 16 of 25 youth and women enterprises had opened bank accounts. 46% of households reported access to financial services.
• Only 15% of smallholders used the digital market information system and 28% used e-extension services.
• Envirocare's activities were delayed by a year because of funding problems, which held back mentoring of the CMGs and enterprises (output 3). The blockchain traceability work (output 4) was also behind schedule, although more than 70% of planned activities had been well executed.

In figures

Recommendations

• Seek a no-cost extension beyond the planned 3.5 years, and look for resources for a follow-up project.
• Work with research institutions such as TaCRI-Uyole and SUA so that farmers can access soil analysis; no project AMCOS had yet done soil testing.
• Turn the one-off seed fund (about EUR 200,000) for CPUs into a revolving fund, working through LGA cooperative offices, financial institutions or Envirocare.
• Use farmer identification cards across the coffee ecosystem for traceability and scale-up, including links with agro-dealers and buyers through Solichains.
• Promote nutrition education and protein intake through collaboration among nutritionists, extension workers and researchers.
• Add women and youth participation indicators to the results framework (e.g. new farms opened, trees, number selling their own coffee to AMCOS).

Lessons learned

• Registering farmers and issuing identification cards had a positive effect on recruitment and uptake of training.
• The lead farmer approach worked well and should be central to sustaining outcomes, with closer work with district and town agricultural officers.
• Delays in funding to one consortium partner can hold back a whole output: one year of frozen activity left enterprise and CMG mentoring incomplete.

Methodology

Cross-sectional mixed-methods design with data collected on 18-25 April 2023: desk review, 6 key informant interviews, 24 focus group discussions and a household follow-up survey of 372 randomly selected baseline smallholder farmers (Kobo Toolbox). Multistage sampling with proportionate random selection of AMCOS in five districts.

Limitations

• The MTE did not examine financial resource use, so it gives no opinion on efficiency or value for money.
• No opinion could be given on output five (learning platforms, policy briefs, investment cases) because these activities had not yet been completed.
• Only direct beneficiaries were interviewed among farmers and community groups.