Nearly a third of the people in Afghanistan, 7.4 million, are unable to get enough food to live active, healthy lives. Instability, low household income, and declining agricultural productivity are contributing factors which lead Afghans to join the insurgency so they can afford food for their families.

IRD is implementing the Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Productive Agriculture (AVIPA) Plus project. AVIPA Plus is a $360 million U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project aimed at increasing rural family farm production and productivity and strengthening links between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and its people.

AVIPA Plus builds on the success of AVIPA, the initial project aimed to increase basic wheat crop production in Afghanistan. AVIPA distributed wheat seed and fertilizer vouchers to farmers in 18 provinces between September 2008 and August 2009. Twelve thousand tons of improved wheat seed and 55,000 tons of fertilizer were distributed. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and USAID were pleased with IRD’s performance and added $300 million to the original $60 million award. AVIPA Plus expanded to include Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

AVIPA Plus has five primary objectives:

- Increase farm family use of high quality agricultural inputs;
- Support profitable farm family participation in agricultural value chains;
- Implement cash for work projects that enhance rural family farm production and productivity;
- Implement a grants component that contributes to rural family farm production and productivity; and
- Include Afghan authorities, civilian and military counterparts in program implementation.

AVIPA Plus implementation is closely linked with Afghan government leadership and local community ownership. The small grants program works closely with community and government officials to identify and process awards for in-kind materials and equipment. The in-kind grants give farmers and rural communities the resources to increase farm production and productivity. Government officials help AVIPA Plus identify cash for work projects, such as repairing irrigation systems, in local communities. Cash for work projects employ men who might otherwise produce illegal crops or participate in insurgency.

AVIPA Plus impact will enhance the Government of Afghanistan’s credibility in rural Afghanistan and link the Government of Afghanistan more strongly with Afghan citizens.

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