The purpose of the Strengthening Value Chains Activity (SVC) mid-term performance evaluation was to provide an independent examination of the activity’s progress and accomplishments. The evaluation assessed the achievements, performance, and constraints related to activity implementation and effectiveness, with a focus on the effectiveness of the collaboration with Food For Peace (FFP) in the same geographical areas of focus. From this, the evaluation identified results and lessons learned and a set of actionable recommendations to ensure the achievement of activity objectives for three time horizons: short-term (one to two years), medium-term (three to four years), and long-term (greater than five years). In addition, the evaluation highlighted some of Banyan Global’s achievements on access to finance and gender and youth inclusion, including:

• SVC surpassed its targets for increasing private sector investment in the specialty coffee value chain. The project has provided basic training, retraining, and coaching that have increased the willingness and ability of partner financial institutions to make loans.
• SVC integrated messages on gender and youth inclusion in its trainings. Sixty-four percent of online survey respondents from coffee farmer colleges agreed that SVC contributed to improving gender equity and women’s socioeconomic empowerment.