Sustainable Agriculture in Moldova Key Part of Economic Growth

Sustainable Agriculture in Moldova

Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country surrounded by Romania and Ukraine in eastern Europe. Previously part of the Soviet Union, Moldova was then one of the richest countries in Europe. Nowadays, despite its progress in recent years, Moldova remains the poorest country in Europe.

Moldova is mainly an agricultural country, with about 75 percent of its land utilized for farming and agriculture. However, Moldova still suffers from food insecurity and an unstable economy. The economy in Moldova is thwarted by high government spending and low government integrity. Moldova is nearly completely reliant on agricultural exports to other countries.

Recently, Moldovans have introduced initiatives to create sustainable agriculture in Moldova and to enhance the competitiveness of the agro-food sector.

In 2012, the World Bank funded the Moldova Agriculture Competitiveness Project. The goal of this project is to enhance the competitiveness of the agro-food sector by modernizing food safety management, increasing market access for farmers and creating sustainable land management. This will increase Moldovan agricultural exports to other countries, which will lead to future economic growth. Moldova received over $20 million in funding from the World Bank for the project, including additional funding in 2015 and 2016. The project is set to close in 2019.

The Moldovan non-governmental organization EcoVisio was created in 2017. The aim of the organization is to increase awareness and education for sustainable development in Moldova, specifically in establishing sustainable agriculture in Moldova. The organization has a goal of education in the fields of organic agriculture and eco-construction. This will help create food security in Moldova.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has also implemented initiatives within Moldova. Since 2015, the United Nations has spent more than $1 million on creating and strengthening sustainable agriculture in Moldova. In accordance with the Technical Cooperation Program, the FAO has been working to strengthen the food safety system in Moldova. By growing safer and healthier food, Moldovans will be able to create better food security for their country.

Another way that the FAO is trying to create sustainable agriculture in Moldova is through pest control. In particular, the United Nations initiative focuses on integrated pest management, the disposal of obsolete and harmful pesticides and enabling other conditions specific to food safety.

Many of these initiatives have already started to help stabilize the economy. The GDP in 2016 was over $6 million, which, while still low, is slowly rising. Unemployment was also down to just over 4 percent in 2016.

Moldova still has a long way to go before it has a completely sustainable agriculture system. These programs and projects have created a great starting place and have laid the groundwork for Moldovans to build on for many years to come. By creating sustainable agriculture in Moldova, the Moldovan economy will have a better opportunity to stabilize and prosper further.

– Courtney Wallace

Photo: Flickr

Improving Credit Access in Myanmar

Credit Access in MyanmarThere is a great need to expand Myanmar’s financial sector. Seventy percent of the country’s adults have no formal access to credit, insurance or other financial services. This leaves many of Myanmar’s citizens reliant on unregulated providers with higher costs or family and friends. However, efforts are being made to improve credit access in Myanmar.

Myanmar had credit cards more up until the country’s banking crisis in 2003. As one of the 21 banks that are Myanmar Payment Union members, Kanbawza Bank announced in May 2015 that it will be Myanmar’s first domestic bank to offer credit cards once again. “We have to manage the services within limits, and that will probably not meet the customers’ wants in the initial stage,” says U Mya Than, Myanmar Payment Union’s chairman.

Another concern is that only a few Myanmar shop owners know how to use point-of-sale machines and will often reject credit cards as a method of payment. Many Myanmar shops accept cash only, a mindset that U Mya Than believes needs to change. “People need to get used to not carrying cash and instead putting money onto their cards. Their habits may change if they can get credit,” he says.

Co-operative Bank Ltd. (CB Bank) plans to issue only secure credit cards in its first stage of helping to improve Myanmar’s credit access. CB Bank also proposed policies and procedures for its credit card program to the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM). The policies require the bank customer to have the same amount of money on their credit card as they do in their deposit account. CB Bank managing director U Pe Myint says the program will begin once the CBM approves it.

In October 2015, Myanmar’s government announced a goal for 40 percent of the country’s people to have financial services access by 2020 and for 15 percent to use more than one financial services product. The government believes that mobile phones coupled with agent cash-in and cash-out services can accelerate Myanmar’s development toward this goal. Myanmar was also reported to be the third fastest-growing mobile market in the world after India and China. Myanmar’s government is working to ensure that the right business models are put in place to allow mobile operators and subsidiaries to provide financial services.

In December 2016, the World Bank’s board of executive directors approved a $100 million credit to support Myanmar in improving access to financial services for families and small and medium-sized businesses. Myanmar’s Financial Sector Development Project aims to promote the development of a stable financial sector, including reforms to increase the provision of banking services, improved credit access in Myanmar and other financial products across the country.

“Improved access to credit will mean higher incomes and more jobs,” says Ulrich Zachau, the World Bank country director for Southeast Asia. The credit will come from the International Development Association, including credit terms for a maturity of 38 years, a six-year grace period and a 0 percent interest rate. Myanmar’s farmers, small businesses and low-income households will also benefit.

In May 2017, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) successfully supported the CBM in developing a regulation for credit reporting. The CBM also issued a regulation that provides the basis for credit reporting companies’ operations and establishment. This served as a key step toward improving credit access in Myanmar, along with helping the country’s small and medium enterprises.

“With an effective enabling environment that the enactment of this regulation brings, we hope to see the very first credit bureau come online soon,” says DawKhin Saw Oo, the CBM’s deputy governor. The IFC plans to continue supporting the CBM in strengthening its supervisory capability over credit reporting services providers. The IFC will also help the CBM educate Myanmar’s people on credit information sharing and financial consumer protection.

These efforts and others will continue to work toward making credit access in Myanmar possible. Improving the country’s financial services will play a key role in providing Myanmar’s citizens with credit access and other financial benefits. Myanmar’s growing mobile market can also help strengthen the country’s financial stability, helping more Myanmar residents have access to financial services as well.

– Rhondjé Singh Tanwar

Photo: Flickr

Power of Technology: The Waves of Renewable Energy in Ghana

renewable energy in Ghana
As technological advances increase and non-renewable sources depreciate, more countries have started investing in less conventional forms of renewable energy — including the extraction of wave energy. This is the case for an Israeli-based company, Yam Pro Energy (YPE), that works to increase the amount of renewable energy in Ghana.

There is a large range of wave energy technologies that each rely on different mechanisms to harness energy; three of the methods are as follows:

  1. Oscillating Water Column
  2. Oscillating Bodies
  3. Overtopping

Oscillating Water Columns use a horizontal front-to-back motion that extracts energy using a roll rotation, while the Oscillating Bodies use a side-to-side motion to extract wave energy using a pitch rotation. The last technology is overtopping, the mechanism used by YPE, that uses a vertical up-and-down motion to harness the energy.

 

Advantages

The main advantages of these systems are its simplicity, reliability and power, which make each option a promising investment. While Europe is still the main lead market for wave technology, other countries have followed the trend; for instance, Ghana works with Yam Pro Energy to bring hydropower plants to its shorelines.

Yam Pro Energy is a long-time supporter of wave energy and works to provide millions of people with clean, efficient energy and eliminate global dependency on fossil fuels. YPE accomplishes such actions with the erection of their wave-energy-harnessing plants, also known as Sea Wave power plants.

YPE recently created a prototype that harnesses the energy from crashing waves and uses it to produce renewable energy that does not harm the ecosystem; the plant is set to be built on the coastline of Ghana’s capital city, Accra.

 

Efficiency

This prototype is more efficient than other devices, such as buoys that can easily be destroyed and can sink in rough seas, and are easily accessible. This means that maintenance issues can easily be addressed without sending out scuba divers or boats. These machines do not emit pollution or harm wildlife, and can easily withstand the harsh environment of the sea, making them a valuable investment.

Zeev Peretz, Yam Pro Energy’s CEO, says that wave technology, specifically when using YPE’s Sea Wave plants, is more efficient as it creates up to 65 percent of energy per year compared to other sources that create between 22 and 24 percent.

According to The Solutions Project and Standford University, the top sources of renewable energy in Ghana are as follows:

  1. Commercial and government rooftop solar, which accounts for 23.7 percent
  2. Residential rooftop solar, which accounts for 19.9 percent
  3. Onshore wind turbines, which account for 17.8 percent
  4. Offshore wind turbines, which account for 14.8 percent
  5. Concentrating solar power plants, which account for 11 percent
  6. Hydropower energy, which accounts for 8.4 percent

Of note, Mark Jacobson from The Solutions Project explained that wave technology is the least utilized source of renewable energy in Ghana. By 2050, it is projected that hydropower will contribute to almost 15 percent of Ghana’s renewable energy, as water energy is meant to complement other renewable energy sources rather than be a source of its own.

With its optimistic future of endless possibilities and success, it is only a matter of time before hydropower acts as a major pillar of renewable energy for Ghana.

– Chylene Babb

Photo: Flickr

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How the U.S. Benefits from Foreign Aid to Zimbabwe

U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Zimbabwe
U.S. citizens share a common misconception in attitudes towards foreign aid. Contrary to popular belief, the United States government spends less than 1 percent of the federal budget on foreign assistance. Of the countries receiving this less than 1 percent, Zimbabwe relies on the United States the most heavily as its number one foreign aid provider.

With improvements in HIV/AIDS prevention and economic growth, the benefits Zimbabwe reaps from foreign aid are more apparent than what the United States gets out of the deal. Oftentimes the successes in aid-receiving countries get the focus, but the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Zimbabwe in different, less measurable ways.

 

Bilateral Economic Relations

For the fiscal year of 2018, the United States is targeted to provide almost $150 million in funds to Zimbabwe. Why provide so much money to a country navigating a rather turbulent period of governance and recovering from years of economic decline?

By providing funds to Zimbabwe, the United States is working to promote Zimbabwe’s economic recovery. This provides opportunities for trade and investments that will benefit the economies of both Zimbabwe and the United States. As Zimbabwe’s economy continues to grow and prosper with the funds the United States provides, business opportunities in Zimbabwe will open up and allow U.S. citizens to take advantage of those opportunities.

 

International Cooperation

In addition to benefiting economically, by providing funds, the United States promotes positive international relations and thus benefits from foreign aid to Zimbabwe. The United States and Zimbabwe are members of many of the same international organizations. Both countries are members of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization.

As the world enters an age of increased international interaction and communication, the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Zimbabwe and many other countries by cultivating relationships with other international players.

 

National Security

From a national security standpoint, politically and economically stable countries are less likely to go to war or engage in any type of international conflict. Military leaders have seen firsthand how addressing poverty and disease in countries benefits the United States.

Zimbabwe is currently in an uncertain political period. In November 2017, Robert Mugabe resigned as Zimbabwe’s president after 37 years in office. After a week of military occupation, Emmerson Mnangagwa came to power and is serving as president until elections in August 2018.

The United States hopes to allocate its 2018 funds to programs that advocate government transparency, enhance political participation and create an active civil society. These sorts of programs have the potential to create a sense of political stability that contributes to the security of both citizens from Zimbabwe and the United States.

One of the critiques of foreign aid is that the U.S. sends money that is chewed up by corrupt governments. This is not the case. In Zimbabwe, the United States works directly with a variety of NGOs and community leaders.

The U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Zimbabwe in many different ways encompassed by a variety of sectors. The economy, international relations, and national security are all improved by providing foreign assistance.

– Sonja Flancher

Photo: IRIN

Spotlight: US Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson

Senator Johnny IsaksonNow in his third term, Sen. Johnny Isakson is among a group of bipartisan senators trying to find the right formula for an immigration deal. Although his run as Senator began in 2005, his political and public service career started long before.

 

Road to the Senate

 

Finishing his education at the University of Georgia, Isakson served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966 to 1972. He was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1993 and furthered his career as residing chair to the Georgia board of education.

Isakson continued his path in politics by becoming a U.S. Representative in the One Hundred Sixth U.S. Congress, filling Newt Gingrich’s open seat. He was re-elected twice more to the House of Representatives. In 2004, Isakson was elected to the U.S. Senate.

 

Legislation for Foreign Aid

 

Sen. Johnny Isakson has done substantial work in the Senate and is willing to push forward in Congress when times seem troubling.

He has introduced the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Millenium Challenge Act (MCA) Modernization Act, which encourages U.S. commercial relationships with African countries that are committed to principles of good governance and looking to improve the trade environment between all parties.

The Economic Growth and Development Act is another bill Sen. Isakson sponsored through his career. This bipartisan legislation helps the private sector work with the U.S. to strengthen economic development, fight disease and alleviate poverty in developing countries.

Sen. Isakson has continued to promote and further U.S. capabilities in regards to foreign aid. He introduced the Reach Every Mother and Child Act, which aims to alleviate preventable mother and child deaths by 2035. This bill alone will help save lives and allow for mothers and children to receive medical help.

Sen. Johnny Isakson has done remarkable work through introducing bills and promoting foreign aid to strengthen U.S. international diplomacy. His work never ends as a U.S. Senator; Isakson’s office told The Borgen Project that his next priority in legislation is to ensure “the life-saving food security programs managed under the Feed the Future Initiative will continue for another five years.” The program not only helps neighboring countries abroad but also is an investment in U.S. national security.

Striving to assist other developing countries and further the growth of U.S. foreign aid is greatly shown in Sen. Isakson’s efforts in Congress. He is looking to promote through legislation an international environment for business to grow. Sen. Isakson’s office told The Borgen Project that “when you empower individuals, communities and businesses, you can help drive economic growth.” Action in communities and government go a long way to help the impoverished and this action is seen in Sen. Johnny Isakson’s career in Congress.

– Bronti DeRoche

Photo: U.S. Air Force

Sustainable Agriculture in American Samoa

sustainable agriculture in American SamoaSustainable agriculture in American Samoa is a long-term project but is making major headway in the region. The land and agricultural abilities of American Samoa are quite limited. However, with isolation from the rest of the world and a lacking capability to be interconnected with trade, it is necessary that American Samoans are able to make use of the land they have.

Discovered in the early 18th century, the archipelago sits between Hawaii and New Zealand. According to the CIA World Factbook, the total population in American Samoa is 51,504, spread out among seven islands. 

Several sustainable agriculture projects in American Samoa are conducted through three organizations:

  1. Western Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SARE)
  2. Women in Business Development Inc. (WIBDI)
  3. U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

SARE reports that several projects in western American Samoa have been extremely successful. The American Samoa community college network attended many different courses during the past year, in which they learned about sustainable development and ways the school system can educate local farmers about options for more sustainable agriculture in American Samoa.

One of SARE’s major focuses during the courses was to teach farmers about food safety. Several of the points made revolved around the improvement of soil health, effective and integrated insect control and proper crop selection. SARE provided many opportunities, and sustainable farming and agricultural improvement in American Samoa is on the rise with the knowledge SARE provided to the college system.

 

Women in Business Development Inc.

WIBDI is helping build sustainable agriculture in American Samoa. One of their newest investments is the growth of organic farming groups. Small villages have been training grounds for a new group of farmers who focus on making sustainable choices possible with American Samoan land.

According to their website, WIBDI is in the process of teaching 600 American Samoan farmers to become certified organic farmers. They are taught how to work in a more economically beneficial way. The goal of the operation is to create a completely insecticide-free environment and to increase the ability of farmers to export goods like coconut oil, dried bananas and skincare products. Through smart business investments and a growing organic community, WIBDI is building a more agriculturally friendly community.

 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture’s NIFA is the third of the organizations involved in American Samoan sustainable agriculture. According to their website, they specialize in the organization and regulation of farming in American Samoa. Sustainable agriculture in American Samoa is growing because of the regulation of crop rotation, grazing rotations and water quality, among other things.

The American Samoan people are working to build a self-sustaining ecosystem within their small territory. NIFA is dedicated to observing and helping grow a more institutionalized organic market for food production and conservation.

Sustainable agriculture in American Samoa is growing steadily, although there has been instability in the climate as of late. Organizations like SARE, WIBDI and NIFA, among others, are assisting in the growth of the American Samoan economy.

– Molly Atchison

Photo: Flickr

Improving Healthcare in Uganda With the Merck Foundation

healthcare in UgandaResidents of Uganda’s rural areas are challenged in finding accessible healthcare facilities. Without organized transportation, many Ugandans must walk or ride their bicycles to a health center. However, many Ugandan health centers cannot guarantee having the medicines or other services necessary to these patients. Fortunately, efforts are being made to improve healthcare in Uganda.

In June 2017, President Yoweri Museveni launched work on a $250 million hospital that will be located in Lubowa. The hospital will ensure that Ugandans no longer have to travel abroad for organ transplants, cancer treatment and heart surgery. The hospital will operate as a 264-bed facility with ultramodern health facilities. President Museveni adds that the hospital could promote Uganda as a destination for medical tourism.

In September 2017, the Merck Foundation committed to a long-term partnership with Uganda’s government that could build the country’s healthcare capacity. The partnership will specifically focus on Ugandans’ struggles with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and infertility. The Merck Foundation also emphasized a commitment to work with Uganda’s Ministry of Health because of the country’s great strides in building regional centers of excellence for fertility and cancer.

The Merck Foundation and Uganda’s Ministry of Health also visited western Uganda’s rural villages where a campaign has established various projects to support infertile women. The Merck Foundation gave an oxen plow, poultry farms and table banking projects to the women in order to socially and economically empower them. “One of my most fulfilling moments is seeing these childless women lead happy and independent lives,” said Merck Foundation CEO Dr. Rasha Kelej to Africa Business Communities.

The Merck Foundation also committed to supporting the training of embryologists and fertility specialists at Uganda’s new Women Maternal Hospital. The organization will also support the hospital’s establishment of Uganda’s first public IVF center. The center aims to improve access to cost-effective fertility care across Uganda and the rest of Africa.

In November 2017, XSML (Central and East Africa’s fund managing company) announced plans to finance Ecopharm, a Ugandan medical center. “With this financing, Ecopharm will be able to reach out with additional pharmacies in new neighborhoods in Kampala,” said Jarl Heijstee, XSML’s managing partner. XSML’s financing will also help Ecopharm serve Uganda’s thousands of customers with high-quality pharmaceuticals.

Healthcare in Uganda has become a growing concern for the U.S. as well. On Jan. 3, 2018, the U.S. Agency for International Development launched a $28.3 million activity to strengthen the Acholi region’s health services. The Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services in Northern Uganda, Acholi (RHITES-Acholi) activity will increase Uganda’s healthcare provider availability, promote effective equipment maintenance and improve health services management.

On Jan. 16, 2018, the musician Diddy announced plans to donate $200,000 to the Unforgettable healthcare campaign that is improving Uganda’s Suubi “Hope” Health Center. This initiative was begun by French Montana after filming the video for “Unforgettable” in Kampala. “In addition to passing the torch to French, I’m showing my support for the work he is doing in Uganda,” said Diddy.

Diddy’s donation is also in response to French Montana and The Weeknd’s donations that each totaled $100,000. The three artists’ combined donations of $400,000 will help build Uganda’s maternal healthcare facilities that include a birth house, prenatal care clinic, new ambulance and more. “It’s important to give back, it’s important to be an agent of change,” said Diddy in the PSA video announcing his donation.

Financial stability is crucial to improving Uganda’s health services. The Merck Foundation’s long-term partnership with the country will continue to help Uganda’s patients and medical facilities. Assistance and aid from other entities will also play a key role in improving healthcare in Uganda.

– Rhondjé Singh Tanwar

Photo: Flickr

Water Shortages Challenge Sustainable Agriculture in Yemen

sustainable agriculture in YemenYemen is in a state of crisis. As of March 2017, about 60 percent of Yemen’s total population has been estimated to be food-insecure. Malnutrition has increased by 57 percent since 2015. Areas of conflict have left about 13.4 million, half the population, in potential danger, internally displaced or in need of humanitarian assistance.

Since Yemen is a predominantly rural country, with 68 percent of its population living in rural areas, irrigated agriculture is the main source of income, employment and economic activity. Thus, when a rapid drop in groundwater resources occurs, sustainable agriculture in Yemen suffers greatly.

Water scarcity in Yemen has put a huge constraint on food production. Almost 90 percent of water use is for agriculture. A large proportion of scarcity is due to inefficient irrigation techniques and the expansion of qat cultivation, which alone counts as 30 percent of the water use. Qat cultivation is six times more profitable than most food crops and relatively easy to cultivate. It has expanded at the expense of food crops, contributing to the dependence on food imports.

However, due to its profitability, year-round cultivation and high domestic demand, the water supply is dwindling. According to New Agriculturists, “water is being extracted from the Sana’a basin four times quicker than it is being replenished and, with a population growth rate of seven percent, Sana’a could become the first capital city to run out of water.” Without support to create sustainable agriculture in Yemen, this water shortage could devastate the region.

In response to this growing water scarcity, the U.K.’s Department for International Development (DFID) has been funding water harvesting projects in Sa’adah province in the village of Al-Qatab. Hand-pumps and precipitation tanks have been provided to this mountain-top community with a reliable source of water.

Additional aid has come from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) which has been working with farmers to help them conserve their soil and water resources through terrace rehabilitation, wadi bank protection and improving irrigation systems. With activities like milk processing and beekeeping, IFAD seeks to enable farmers to diversify their agricultural production and improve processing overall.

In addition, the Groundwater and Soil Conservation Project has been working to improve irrigation water use efficiency, which will increase farmer returns to water and create conditions that will allow farmers to reduce pumping from aquifers.  

There has been some success, as many of the farmers assisted by this project have received substantial benefits. These benefits help to reduce costs and improve yields. In addition, this project’s investments have saved 80 million cubic meters of groundwater per year and have significantly improved the lives of farmers and their families. These changes will drastically improve sustainable agriculture in Yemen and help save the nation’s water resources.

– Kailey Brennan

Photo: Flickr

System Improvements: Sustainable Agriculture in Cameroon

sustainable agriculture in Cameroon
In 2008, Cameroon was the scene of hunger-related protests and protesters asking for cuts in fuel and food prices. In April 2010, a new initiative launched and was set to last for seven years; this act was known as the Agricultural Competitiveness Improvement Project (PACA), which led to major improvements for Cameroon’s food market and food security.

Financed by the government of Cameroon and an $82 million loan from the World Bank’s International Development Association, PACA was created to encourage young people to become farmers through the development of rural infrastructure facilities and the investment in value chains such as rice and maize cultivation, and pork and poultry.

 

Sustainable Agriculture and the Fruits of PACA Labor

By 2016, the project had already increased crop yields by 16 percent for rice, 98 percent for maize and 220 percent for plantain. Regarding the production of broiler meat, numbers doubled with a 122 percent increase for the average annual pig live weight, 257 percent for the average annual poultry live weight and 141 percent for the average annual egg production.

In fact, sustainable agriculture in Cameroon represents more than half of the country’s non-oil export revenues, and constitutes a field of high employment, with 60 percent of the country’s working population having a job in the sector. The project not only helps address the challenge of agricultural competitiveness, but it also brings food security, income generation and job creation in rural Cameroon.

 

Sustainable Agriculture and Women

Sustainable agriculture in Cameroon also proved to be a way for women in certain villages to improve their livelihoods. Joshua Kankonko is one of the founders of those eco-villages — in Bafut (a village in Cameroon), he implemented “permaculture,” an innovative system of sustainable agriculture and design principles that replenishes the soil and maximizes yields on small plots.

 

Systemic Improvements in Sustainable Agriculture

This system achieves better management of soil and environmental resources through natural and mechanical erosion control; one can use plans to hold soil and moisture together and the other uses natural materials such as bamboo to create barriers. From improving family incomes to restoring the natural environment, this project is successful at benefiting the overall well-being of Bafut’s community.

From large projects such as PACA, to smaller and locally-sourced projects like the one in Bafut, there has been a number of efforts to make sustainable agriculture in Cameroon a tool for higher productivity, higher incomes and better job opportunities.

– Sarah Soutoul

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Improving Levels of Sustainable Agriculture in Tajikistan

Sustainable Agriculture in Tajikistan
Since its independence, Tajikistan has made great strides in reducing poverty. Between 2000 and early 2009, poverty fell from over 83 to about 47 percent; between 2012 and 2016 it fell further from 37 to 30.3 percent; and since 2012, the poorest regions of the country have made the most progress in poverty reduction. Despite these successes, though, there are still substantial issues regarding sustainable agriculture in Tajikistan.

For instance, Tajikistan suffers from chronic food insecurity. Agriculture accounts for 75 percent of total employment and about a quarter of total GDP; however, just 7 percent of Tajikistan’s land surface is arable. This is a problem as approximately 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas where often the only paid jobs are seasonal agricultural labor on cotton farms or unpaid work tending household farms.

 

Feed the Future

With lack of sustainable agriculture in Tajikistan as the root cause of hunger, USAID has created the Feed the Future initiative to accelerate agricultural development and improve nutrition for Tajiks. The Feed the Future strategy is focused on the Khatlon Province in the southwest region of the country along the border with Afghanistan, as it is a key region for agricultural production. This area contains a large number of people living below the poverty line and the highest rate of undernutrition. With Khatlon’s irrigated lands and cotton production, this site is a promising start to affect water and land reform to create sustainable agriculture in Tajikistan.

This effort has improved agricultural productivity for farmers and agribusiness and contributed to over $2 million in increased farm revenue in 2011. USAID programs trained 30,000 rural residents on land-use rights and provided one-on-one legal aid consultations on land rights to 12,000 people. Understanding their rights to farm has allowed the people more control over crops and land.

 

Sustainable Agriculture and Water Management Project

Additional support aided in producing sustainable agriculture in Tajikistan. According to the World Bank, the objectives of the Additional Financing for the Second Public Employment for Sustainable Agriculture and Water Management Project for Tajikistan seek to:

  • Provide employment to food-insecure people through the rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage infrastructure
  • Increase crop production in response to improved irrigation and infrastructure
  • Support the development of improved policies and institutions for water resource management

These measures will ideally improve food availability and allow food access for low-income people in rural areas. Additional funds from this project will be used to fund public works to help employment for low-income and food insecure population, including migrant workers returning to Tajikistan.

With poverty rates decreasing and projects such as these funding the production of sustainable agriculture in Tajikistan, this nation is hopefully on its way to becoming a safer, stronger and more sustainable country.

– Kailey Brennan

Photo: Flickr