The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The European Union and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have launched a €5 million ($5.8 million) initiative aimed at helping Afghan farmers and agribusinesses access markets, increase income and better withstand climate and economic shocks.
The project will support vulnerable households, including
returnees, internally displaced people and host communities, in areas affected
by food and nutrition insecurity, climate risks and limited economic
opportunities. Women and young people will be a particular focus of the
initiative.
Under the project, four one-stop service hubs will be
established to connect farmers and rural entrepreneurs with agricultural
advice, specialized services, agribusinesses and markets.
The hubs will promote improved farming practices and
technologies and provide farmers with access to the FAO’s climate analysis and
early-warning information. The information is intended to help farmers make
timely decisions about production and marketing as weather and other conditions
change.
The initiative will also restore 2,000 hectares (4,942
acres) of degraded forests and rangelands and support 250 women- and
community-led nurseries. The effort is intended to protect natural resources
while creating additional livelihood opportunities for rural communities.
The FAO will provide matching grants, along with tailored
technical and business advice, to established agrifood and environmentally
sustainable businesses with potential for expansion.
Participating businesses will contribute their own resources
alongside project funding, allowing them to expand processing and other
services, purchase more products from local farmers and create jobs in rural
areas.
“The European Union’s contribution to FAO demonstrates our
continued commitment to food security and economic empowerment of the Afghan
people,” Nicola Bellomo, the EU’s new chargé d’affaires for Afghanistan, said.
Bellomo said Afghanistan’s agricultural potential remains
underdeveloped while the country faces severe climate vulnerability. He said
the initiative would strengthen agricultural extension services, support
agribusiness growth, promote nature-based solutions and improve the use of
evidence and analysis.
Richard Trenchard, the FAO representative in Afghanistan,
said the organization was moving away from predominantly humanitarian programs
toward more sustainable approaches.
“Afghanistan’s agrifood businesses have demonstrated real
potential to grow, create jobs and connect farmers to markets, even in a highly
challenging environment,” Trenchard said.
He said the initiative would help connect farmers with
knowledge, services and markets while supporting agribusinesses to invest and
expand.
“When farmers can produce with confidence, businesses can
grow, and products can reach markets, agriculture becomes a powerful engine for
recovery and resilience,” Trenchard said.
