This project marks the beginning of our learning journey
TechnoServe aims to provide sustainable, business-driven solutions to poverty. Working in Ethiopia since 2009, the organization is known for its strong expertise in the coffee sector. This project was the first investment of the Max and Ingeborg Herz Foundation and focused on TechnoServe’s core approach: the Coffee Farm College.
Approach
TechnoServe implemented their core approach, the two-year Coffee Farm College. This group-based training approach with theoretical and practical lessons on good agricultural practices aims to increase coffee productivity and climate-resilience of coffee farms.
Within the project, farmers were trained in eight recommended coffee agronomy practices with a strong focus on coffee rejuvenation through stumping.
The project has been implemented in six coffee-growing woredas in the Sidama region: Dale, Aleta Chuko, Aleta Wondo, Bona Zuria, Hawela, and Shebedino.
EVALUATION & LEARNING
The project was externally evaluated by the research firm Laterite and the research institute IFPRI via a quasi-experimental study design (matched Difference in Difference).
The main goal of the evaluation was to assess its effect on
- knowledge dissemination and
- adoption of good agricultural practices.
The project was accompanied by several pilot studies, e.g., to assess the effectiveness of incentives to increase stumping adoption, yield measurement methodologies and yield effects of stumping.
Learn more about our insights and learnings in the publications below.
IMPACT
The project achieved the following outcomes:
- Increase of adoption of four out of eight recommended coffee agronomy practices by 12%
- Adoption of stumping increased by 9% (2019) and 32% (2020), averaging 10–20 stumped trees per household
- Coffee yield from stumped trees increased by 21–23%*
*Yield estimates are based on a yield study conducted after the project in the same area. We expect this to be a conservative estimate due to the limited study design. Read the full report below.
Overall, although the project promoted the adoption of good agricultural practices, it did not fully achieve the expected outcomes. However, many learnings were generated how to improve the approach and generate more impact for farmers.
These learnings lead to improved outcomes and a positive Social Return on Investment in the follow-up project in Jimma (learn more in this article).
Measured Return – Model Explanation
The evaluative SROI of 1.2 (range: 0.1 – 1.6) is based on the IFPRI Final Impact Report, which measured adoption of good agricultural practices across two project cohorts. The income effect is modelled from observed adoption rates rather than directly measured income data — a methodological limitation that contributes to the low certainty level.
The two assumptions that most strongly influence the result are coffee price development and the yield benefit of stumping, based on TechnoServe’s own yield model.
Although the project broke even, it did not achieve the income gains originally expected. The insights gained directly informed the design of the successor project, the Jimma Coffee Program — read more in our learning article.
All model figures represent present value over 10 years, discounted at 10%, deflated to 2021 EUR.
Read more about our SROI methodology here.
RESOURCES
Dig deeper into the results and get in contact in case of questions!