Improving agricultural livelihoods

Lessons for the Australia Afghanistan Community Resilience Scheme

Current Australian support to Afghanistan agriculture

• Block grant to ARTF

• MAIL Dry Land Farming Strategy and capacity building

Australia’s support for the MAIL Dry Land Farming Initiatives

• Establishment of a profile for dry-land Farming in MAIL

• Dedicated resources to the planning and coordination of dry-land farming within MAIL

• Study tours and workshops

• Development of DLF Strategy

• Development of an operational plan for the DLF Strategy

Afghan communities living in water restricted areas benefit

from improved and sustainable food security and

agricultural productivity

Afghan communities living in water restricted areas benefit from improved

production, productivity, household food security

and livelihoods

Increased drought

resilience and diversity

of rain-fed farming systems

Improved water

capture and water

management systems across one hundred

critical dry land

watersheds

Increased reliability

and overall productivity of rain-fed

cereal grain production

Improved Government

capacity, institutional structures

and partnerships

to service the needs of

dry land farmers

Current Australian assistance to Afghanistan agriculture

• Block grant to ARTF

• MAIL Dry Land Farming Strategy and capacity building

• Afghanistan Agricultural Livelihoods R4D Portfolio

Afghan communities living in water restricted areas benefit from improved

and sustainable food security and agricultural productivity

Improved livestock

productivity in targeted farming systems

Improved water management in

targeted farming systems

Improved grain productivity in

targeted farming systems

Current Australian assistance to Afghanistan agricultural livelihoods

• Block grant to ARTF• MAIL Dry Land Farming

Strategy and capacity building• Afghanistan Agricultural

Livelihoods R4D Portfolio• Support to public financial

management within MAIL• Australian Afghanistan

Community Resilience Facility (AACRS)

Importance of agriculture to development

If:• A country has comparative

advantage in agriculture

• Low income levels predominate

• Largely unskilled labour

• A preponderance of poor people living in rural areas

Then agricultural development:

• is a precursor to growth

• Contributes to economic transformation

• Is the most poverty-reducing sector

• Provides opportunity for inclusiveness

• Builds food securityBut is

compromised if

there is insecurity

, macro-economic insta

bility,

inappropriate m

arket regulatio

n, or lo

w investment in

R,D, and E

Rainfed productivity failure is a key

impediment to agricultural growth

Poverty and agriculture

• At 36% relatively unchanged from 2007/8 to 2011/12

• 80% of the population and 90% of the poor live rurally

• 50% of households receive some agriculture income

• 40% of workforce but 400,000 new labour entrants per annum

• Grown at 2.9% for last decade – must now grow at 6% if it is to increase rural incomes

Lessons from Australia’s rural livelihoods programs in other counties

• Tailor the AACRS to the capacity and aspirations of households within each community

Exit PovertyProvide Food

SecurityTarget: the poorest and most vulnerable households in priority livelihood systems

Transition to enterprise

Target: the economically active poor in priority value chains

Strengthen entrepreneurs

Target: emerging private sector leaders in the agriculture sector

Resi

lience

, h

ouse

hold

in

com

e,

ass

ets

, ch

oic

es

Trajectory of households – creating different entry points

Emphasis on productivity, food security and a healthy diet

Emphasis on integrated farming systems approaches

Emphasis on profitable value chains, market linkages

Common work roles

Labour options

More

Options

Labour

Diversified

Lessons from Australia’s rural livelihoods programs in other counties

• Tailor the AACRS to the capacity and aspirations of households within each community

• The need to be realistic timeframes, flexibility and learning.

Flexibility, realistic expectations and learning

Lessons from Australia’s rural livelihoods programs in other counties

• Tailor the AACRS to the capacity and aspirations of households within each community

• The need to be realistic timeframes, flexibility and learning for systemic change

• Be clear about short term catalytic partnerships and long term sustainable partnerships : local community groups, entrepreneurs, private sector, Government service agencies and some local NGOs

• Don’t forget nutrition sensitive agricultural approaches

Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture

•Agriculture as a source of food

Pathway 1: Own production → food consumption

•Agriculture as a source of income to affect food purchase

Pathway 2: Income → food purchase

•Agriculture as a source of income to affect health care purchase

Pathway 3: Income → health care purchase

•The link between agricultural policies and food prices

Pathway 4: Food prices → food purchase

•Women’s ability to manage the care, feeding, and health of young children given their time constraints

Pathway 5: Women’s time use → care capacity

•Women’s own nutritional status due to workload demands

Pathway 6: Women’s workload → maternal energy use

•Women’s socioeconomic status and ability to influence household decision-making including allocations of food and other resources within the household

Pathway 7: Women’s control of income→ resource allocation