The INCOPA Project, implemented by the International Potato Center – CIP, started its activities in 2001 and its objectives are to develop and implement participative approaches to generate commercial, technological and institutional innovations in order to improve competitiveness of small-scale potato producers in Peruvian highlands, taking advantage of potato biodiversity and promoting alliances among different potato chain actors through multi-stakeholder platforms (national and regional).
In Peru, despite the recent economic growth, there still are misbalances among territories and sectors, mainly affecting rural highland areas, inhabited by 78% of poor people and 51% of extremely poor people. Nevertheless, there are elements of the national political context, like priority given to the development of highlands and political and economic decentralization processes, that contribute to the to implementation of the project approaches with very good possibilities of having a public and political effects. The new phase is within the framework of the current SDC Peru 2002-2007 Co-operation Strategy under the priority subject “Sustainable Economic Growth” and is part of the 2002-2010 SDC strategy for Latin America including priorities such as empowerment of small-scale producers and economic growth as a strategy to fight poverty.
The main achievements and contributions of the project up to date include the following: (1) development and implementation of methodologies to identify new market opportunities and to develop new native potato-based products for small scale producers; (2) creation of new forms of public and private alliances among market chain actors and development institutions through multi-stakeholder platforms at domestic and regional levels in the intervention areas; and (3) public incidence by promoting a new image of the potato sector, through the setting of the National Day of the Potato, several excellence prizes recognizing INCOPA approaches to link small farmers to market and the official status of the International Year of the Potato (2008).
The purpose of Phase III is “To improve the competitiveness of the potato chain, with emphasis in small-scale producers, taking advantage of new market opportunities and promoting the use of Peruvian potato, within the framework of a public-private institutionalization that favors the modernization of the sector”. The actions will be implemented around four expected results: i) multi-stakeholder platforms involving actors of the market chain strengthened and operating on a sustainable basis; ii) action contributing to public incidence and policies implemented with partners to strengthen the potato sector; iii) strengthened capacities of local partners to improve competitiveness of small-scale producers through provision of local services; and iv) more participation of the private business sector in the Peruvian potato market chain.
INCOPA will continue working with a wide network of public and private partners facilitating collaborative actions to respond more efficiently to the needs of potato producer families. Project sustainability will be reached by strengthening national and regional platforms in the intervention areas of the Project.
