AVANSE Final Evaluation Report
Summary — This report presents the final evaluation of the USAID/Haiti Feed the Future North (FTFN) activity, also known as AVANSE. The activity, implemented by DAI Global, LLC from 2013 to 2019, aimed to increase agricultural incomes in Haiti's northern corridor by promoting improved agricultural practices and strengthening market linkages in the cacao, rice, and banana/plantain value chains.
Key Findings
- Farmers acquired capacity to continue using approaches and technologies AVANSE promoted through increased technical skills, subsidized inputs, and ease of applying technologies.
- Farmers' primary motivation for continuing AVANSE promoted technology use is observed increases in income and yields.
- Drought, political unrest, the quality/quantity/timeliness of input availability, and the lack of GOH capacity are obstacles to continued use.
- AVANSE used a market-based approach to strengthen both the supply and demand sides of the input value chain.
- Most stakeholders believed that farm product demand is greater than supply, increasing potential for scaling production.
Full Description
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Haiti commissioned an independent final evaluation of the Feed the Future North (FTFN) activity, known as Appui à la Valorisation du potentiel Agricole du Nord pour la Sécurité Economique et Environnementale (AVANSE). DAI Global, LLC implemented AVANSE, valued at USD 87.8 million, from 2013 to 2019. The evaluation assessed the extent to which AVANSE's approaches and technologies in the rice, plantain, and cacao value chains will continue to be used, how AVANSE strengthened input systems, the potential for scaling up AVANSE-promoted approaches, and the partnerships created by AVANSE to guarantee farmers' access to markets and private sector services. The evaluation found that farmers appreciated AVANSE’s impact on increased income and yields, and many will continue applying these technologies. However, access to water and finance are necessary for continued use and sustainably scaling up AVANSE impact.