FAO reports new programme seeks to rebuild farmer resilience in Afghanistan

By Anjali Sharma

UNITED NATIONS – Food and Agriculture Agency in support with the British Government on Monday has launched a new agricultural resiliency programme in Afghanistan to improve food production and nutrition throughout the country.

Resilient Agriculture Livelihoods hopes to reach over 150,000 people in all 8 regions of the country by the end of next May.

It will specifically target small-scale farmers, landless labourers, livestock keepers and women and girls.

Richard Trenchard, the FAO representative in Afghanistan said “Afghanistan’s farmers are extraordinarily resilient, but repeated climate and economic shocks are eroding this strength. This project lays down important pathways to help farmers rebuild that resilience,”.

The ReAL program will work to expand market access for farmers in addition to managing climate risks in a way that will promote sustainable land use and enable communities to not rely on humanitarian assistance long-term.

The agency noted that between 2022 and 2024 it reached over 30.3 million people in Afghanistan with emergency food relief and long-term resilience projects, work which helped to decrease the food insecurity crisis by half.

Mr. Trenchard said “In a country where agriculture sustains most lives, this is a short-term investment with long-term impact.”