Dataset for: Tackling Food Insecurity and Malnutrition through Diversification: Exploiting the Potential of Potato and Sweetpotato to Reduce Food Insecurity and Dependence on Cereals in SNNPR and Tigray. Better Potato for a Better Life (BPBL) Baseline Survey

The baseline survey is designed with an aim of determining the level of community involvement in potato and sweetpotato production, consumption and marketing and as a means of improving livelihoods of the communities in SNNPR and Tigray regions. It looks at the general household demographic profile, livelihood, income, production and marketing realities and constraints affecting the potato and sweetpotato yields in the two regions prior to CIPUSAID project intervention. Food insecurity is the major problem of smallholder farmers in many areas of rural Ethiopia. The data is expected to set benchmark values to serve as initial measure to assess the outcomes or impact of the “Better Potato for a Better Life” project interventions and will be used as a reference by the project and the donor, USAID. The data from the baseline survey will be incorporated directly into the programmatic decision making process to ensure that best strategies are employed during implementation of the project. The baseline survey was conducted from August 2010 to December 2010 in the two project intervention regions namely, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) and Tigray. The survey was carried out in the eleven administrative zones, twenty two woredas (districts) and forty four kebeles/tabias (Peasant Associations-PAs) of these two regions. The first criterion used was potato and sweetpotato potential producing areas as sampling frame. These areas were identified in collaboration with partner institutions Bureau of Agriculture from both regions, GOAL Ethiopia and Vita-RT. Different administrative levels were considered for stratification which included region, zone, woreda and kebele/tabia (the lowest administrative unit). All the woredas in which the project is being implemented in the two regions and the eleven zones were considered during the baseline study. The sample size distribution between the two regions was done proportionally with respect to the potato and sweetpotato production potential across all project intervention woredas and kebeles/tabias. In each of the project kebeles/tabias, twenty four participating farm households were interviewed. These were selected randomly from the list of project participating households if their total number was more than twenty four. In case there were less than twenty four participating farmers in a selected intervention kebele/tabia, all participating farmers plus additional farmers who were selected to participate the next season were interviewed to meet the total twenty four samples of households. Another nearby kebele/tabia was selected randomly as non-participant from which twelve farmers were selected randomly for the interview. In case the farmer targeted for an interview was not found at home during the visit, a spouse was recommended to answer on behalf of the farmer. If both of them were not able to be located during the day, additional reserve samples were drawn to meet the required number of households to be interviewed. Data entry and cleaning was done from December 2010 - August 2011 and data analysis and report writing was done September 2011 - December 2011.

本基线调查旨在评估社区在马铃薯（potato）与甘薯（sweetpotato）生产、消费及营销中的参与程度，同时助力改善埃塞俄比亚南部民族、民族与人民地区（Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, SNNPR）及提格雷（Tigray）地区社区的生计水平。调查涵盖CIPUSAID项目干预前，两地区家庭人口统计特征、生计状况、收入水平、生产与营销实情，以及制约马铃薯与甘薯产量的各类瓶颈因素。粮食不安全是埃塞俄比亚众多农村地区小农户面临的核心困境。本调查数据将作为基准值，用于初始评估“Better Potato for a Better Life”（优质马铃薯赋能美好生活）项目的干预成效与影响，同时将作为项目及资助方美国国际开发署（USAID）的参考依据。基线调查数据将直接纳入项目规划决策流程，以确保项目实施期间采用最优策略。本次基线调查于2010年8月至2010年12月，在两个项目干预地区——南部民族、民族与人民地区（SNNPR）及提格雷地区开展，覆盖两地区的11个行政专区、22个woreda（县/区）及44个kebele/塔比亚（农民协会-PAs）。本次调查以马铃薯与甘薯潜在种植区作为首要抽样框架，上述区域由两地区农业局、合作机构埃塞俄比亚目标组织（GOAL Ethiopia）及Vita-RT共同划定。分层抽样纳入了不同行政层级，包括州、专区、woreda以及kebele/塔比亚（最基层行政单位）。本次基线研究覆盖两地区所有项目实施woreda及全部11个行政专区。两地区的样本量分配，依据所有项目干预woreda与kebele/塔比亚的马铃薯及甘薯生产潜力按比例确定。在每个项目干预kebele/塔比亚中，均访谈24户参与农户：若项目参与农户总数超过24户，则从参与农户名单中随机抽取24户；若参与农户不足24户，则访谈全部现有参与农户，并额外选取下一季将参与项目的农户，凑足24户样本量。此外，随机选取一个邻近的非项目干预kebele/塔比亚，从中随机抽取12户农户进行访谈。若受访农户当日不在家，则由其配偶代为回答；若当日无法联系到农户本人及其配偶，则抽取额外备用样本以补足所需访谈户数。数据录入与清洗工作于2010年12月至2011年8月完成，数据分析与报告撰写则于2011年9月至2011年12月开展。