Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes spawn multi-level prosperity in Burundi

In Burundi, a new project is rapidly transforming the agricultural sector, bringing many farmers hope, prosperity, and improved food security. The Great Lakes Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative Rapid Delivery Hub (AID-I GLR) Project—locally dubbed Kugwiza Project (which means ‘to increase’ in Kirundi)—through its partnership with the International Potato Center (CIP) and local and international scaling organizations, including World Vision, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), One Acre Fund, CoopEden, and Cooperative Haguruka, is at the forefront of this transformation. AID-I GLR is strengthening the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) value chain and changing lives.

Burundi’s agricultural sector has long been a cornerstone of its economy. However, challenges such as inadequate access to quality planting materials and modern farming techniques have hindered progress.

Within a relatively short time, the Kugwiza Project has undertaken extensive capacity-building activities to ensure the availability of clean OFSP vines across Burundi. Collaborating with the Institut des Sciences Agronomique du Burundi (ISABU), CIP has trained laboratory technicians in producing early-generation seeds and their distribution to seed multipliers for further multiplication. This initiative is crucial for establishing a robust and sustainable seed system.

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