Key information
AbacusBio collaborated with the International Potato Center (CIP) in Uganda to identify key traits and create solutions for the sweet potato supply chain. This project aimed to make CIP’s breeding efforts more market-driven, aligning them with the needs of stakeholders across the sweet potato supply chain.
Key Challenges
Sweet potato, a staple food crop in developing nations, faces challenges such as:
- Aligning breeding decisions with market demands
- Ensuring a stable, nutritious food supply
- Enhancing the delivery of Vitamin A through genetic improvements
Project Goals
- Identify priority traits across the sweet potato supply chain
- Inform breeding decisions to be more market-driven
- Enhance the adoption of new sweet potato varieties
Project Activities
AbacusBio and CIP conducted extensive surveys using the 1000Minds® platform and SurveyGizmo® software to:
- Segment the market based on trait preferences
- Quantitatively specify relative trait preferences
- Determine socio-demographic and systematic drivers of trait priorities
Significant achievements
- First-ever study of its kind in a CGIAR breeding program
- Comprehensive understanding of trait importance for future plant development
- Defined economic selection indexes to meet industry needs
Impactful results
- Modernized breeding operations for CIP
- Enhanced adoption of new sweet potato varieties
Key Outcomes for Users
- Improved alignment of breeding programs with market needs
- Greater user engagement and buy-in across the supply chain
- Secure, stable, and accessible sweet potato supply chain
This collaboration marks a significant step forward in modernizing sweet potato breeding programs, contributing to a more secure and nutritious food supply for developing nations.
Partnership and Support
This project was supported by Excellence in Breeding, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and CGIAR-CRP Roots, Tubers & Banana.
