Roots and tubers provide an estimated average of 20% of the daily per capita calorie intake for the 640 million inhabitants of Sub-Saharan Africa, where with the growing population there is increasing demand for these crops both for food and for feed. However, there are many constraints to maintaining or increasing production and productivity of the crops in the region. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) has, through its Renewable Natural Resources Research Strategy (RNRRS; 1995-2006), been funding research to alleviate some of these constraints. This study was commissioned to review the achievements of the DFID-funded projects, how they had been
implemented and what the main lessons to be learnt from the projects’ outputs and their implementation are. The approach taken was to collate information from the research programme and project reports and publications, and to supplement this with information obtained directly from project leaders, project partners/collaborators and other people involved in root and tuber crop research and development.