On August 4, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Grant Agreement (G/A) with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for a grant of up to 1,879 million yen for the Food Production Capacity Improvement Program (FAO Collaboration) in Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, the poverty and food shortages among the people are becoming more serious due to the change in the local situation in August 2021 and the severe drought last winter, and humanitarian assistance from the international community is needed.
This project will support the distribution of seeds and seedlings and livestock protection packages (feed, vaccines, etc.) to grain farmers (approximately 18,000 households) and livestock farmers (approximately 10,000 households) in 11 provinces in Afghanistan, and the rehabilitation of 326 small-scale irrigation facilities, thereby improving food production capacity and livelihoods of farmers and others. This will contribute to Goal 2 (zero hunger) of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
In the region, 80% of the country will experience drought in 2021, and as of May 2022, approximately 50% of the population, or about 20 million people, will be severely food insecure. In addition, it is clear that about half of the farmers have lower yields than in 2021, and 3 million head of livestock are said to be at risk of extinction, which is expected to reduce farmers’ income. Furthermore, there are concerns that agricultural productivity will further decline in the future due to the rising prices of agricultural materials such as seeds and fertilizers.
The details of the project are as follows
© Source JICA