Final evaluation of the Equity 1 programme and feasibility study of the Equity 2 programme Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali

Context of the service

The Equity 1 programme (2016-2019) aimed to support the development of fair trade in West Africa. With a budget of €3.9 million and led by the French Fair Trade Platform, it was implemented in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Togo) by the NGO Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) and Fairtrade Africa - West African Network (FTA-WAN).

The Programme aimed to develop innovative approaches to develop profitable activities with fair trade, limit negative environmental impacts, contribute to the protection of biodiversity, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. One of the main objectives of the Programme was to support the structuring of networks of producer organisations to integrate the Fair Trade market.

AFD and FFEM have recruited SalvaTerra to carry out the final evaluation of the Equity 1 programme and a feasibility study for a new Equity 2 programme.

Services provided

The final evaluation was done by reviewing all the documentation of the programme and by carrying out missions to 4 countries in order to meet the stakeholders (NGOs, cooperatives, certification labels, etc.)

The evaluation report presents the implementation process, the main achievements and challenges encountered, the analysis of the programme's performance (relevance, coherence, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability), conclusions and recommendations.

The feasibility study was carried out by analysing the national agricultural contexts, the strengths/weaknesses of the main value chains (cocoa, shea, cashew nuts, fruits and handicrafts) and the labels that can be mobilised (Fairtrade Max Havelaar, Fair for Life, WFTO, SPP, Organic).

The feasibility report presents the logical framework of the Equity 2 programme, its objectives, activities, detailed budget, monitoring and evaluation system, etc. The programme was funded by AFD and FFEM for a period of 4 years from the second half of 2019.

Summary of the service

Final evaluation of the Equity 1 programme "Support for the development of Fair Trade in West Africa" (Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Togo) and feasibility study of an Equity 2 programme: Study of the cocoa, shea, cashew nut (cashew nuts), fruit (mango, etc.) and handicrafts sectors; Study of the Fairtrade Max Havelaar (FLOCERT), Fair For Life (ECOCERT), WFTO, Symbol of Peasant Producers (SPP) labels; Evaluation of the results and performance of Equity 1; Complete Equité 2 assembly.