United States Announces $80 Million Commitment to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to Improve Food Security and Nutrition for Vulnerable Afghans

Today the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced an $80 million commitment to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to improve food security and nutrition for Afghans experiencing severe food insecurity, including women, women-headed households, and smallholder farmers and herders.

With this assistance, USAID will help Afghan farmers increase the production of nutritious food using environmentally-sustainable practices, and increase the availability of quality seeds and other agricultural inputs. This funding will also improve smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate and economic shocks through crop diversification and promoting agricultural best practices, including through support to small-scale food producers, women, family farmers, pastoralists, and fishers. This support will also benefit small-scale Afghan agribusinesses, helping to ensure sustainable food production systems, and improve the food security and nutrition of vulnerable Afghan families.

Since August 2021, USAID has focused on addressing high levels of hunger resulting from the economic collapse and compounded by years of drought and poor harvests. This funding builds upon more than $775 million in humanitarian assistance that the United States has provided to support the people of Afghanistan since last August. Despite the Taliban takeover, USAID’s agricultural programs have continued to benefit thousands of Afghan farmers, including women, in 227 communities in Sar-e Pul, Jowzjan, Khost, and Nangarhar provinces.