Afghanistan Food Security and Nutrition Plan 2019 to 2023.

This Food Security and Nutrition Plan (AFSeN) is a nationwide sectoral document built upon the AFSeN-Agenda (AFSeN-A) to achieve the overall goal of improving the food security and nutrition situation of Afghan people, so that they can become food-secure, well-nourished, healthy, and productive, as per the Vision. The consequent Mission is to implement and scale up evidence-based and innovative multi-sectoral food security and nutrition interventions. To achieve the aforementioned overall goal, the Plan sets out a number of Strategic Objectives, as follows (i) ensure adequate economic and physical access to food, especially for vulnerable and food-insecure population groups; (ii) ensure food and nutrition supplies over time and in emergency situations; (iii) improve the quality of nutritious diets, particularly among women, children, and vulnerable groups; (iv) increase access to nutrition-related quality health care services; (v) improve water, sanitation, and hygiene as well as education for better nutrition; (vi) improve rural infrastructure and strengthen nutrition-sensitive value chains; (vii) increase availability of nutrient-rich foods through domestic (local) food production; (viii) increase the nutritional and market value of foods; and (ix) strengthen food security and nutrition governance
To help eliminate hunger and food insecurity, the Plan will (i) increase agricultural productivity and production as a means to lead to better incomes and employment, and to improve access to nutritious and more diverse food; (ii) develop an early warning system to ensure disaster prevention, preparedness, and mitigation measures as well as basic nutritional services; (iii) improve infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and maternal and adolescent nutrition; (iv) provide adequate sanitation facilities to combat the high rates of waterborne diseases, which in turn lead to high rates of under-nutrition, poor pregnancy outcomes, under-five mortality, and compromised health status for the population as a whole; (v) improve the availability of nutritious foods through improvements in irrigation and through increasing the quality, quantity, productivity, and diversity of crops and horticulture, as well as livestock; (vi) encourage protection, conservation, and promotion of wild and indigenous species, many of which are an important source of micro-nutrients in traditional diet; and (vii) increase the availability of animal-sourced foods as an extremely valuable source of nutrients.
Interventions to make agriculture more productive and sustainable, are (i) improve irrigation systems; (ii) increase the quality, quantity, productivity, and diversity of crops and horticulture, as well as livestock, like small ruminants and dairy products; and (iii) increase the availability of food crops with a high nutritional and market value, are drought resistant and climate smart (including oil seeds, nuts, fruits, and other indigenous products).
To reduce rural poverty, action should be taken on the investment in basic rural and communal infrastructure to ease market linkages and logistics.
For more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, main initiatives are enabled through (i) promoting public works programs, social safety nets, and consumer subsidies directed to small-scale farmers, in particular female farmers and rural communities; (ii) supporting nutrition-sensitive value chains and local marketing of food products with high nutritional value, including raising poultry and livestock as well as other food processing opportunities; (iii) creating and supporting local producer groups and traders, public-private partnerships, and identifying market linkages and opportunities to support the marketing of nutritious foods at local markets; (iv) improving rural and communal infrastructure to strengthen market linkages and access to services; (v) creating food-related infrastructure to support food production and processing (e.g. food processing centers); (vi) improving livestock breeds and production, in particular livestock traditionally managed by women, such as small ruminants and poultry products.
In order to increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the interventions suggested by the Plan are (i) development and management of natural resources, including forests and watersheds to protect and conserve Afghanistan’s natural resources and build resilience to climate change; (ii) increasing of the availability of drought resistant and climate smart food crops; and (iii) promotion of investments in agricultural research and advisory services, as well as in capacity development of smallholders, farmers, and traders, to strengthen, through use of practical solutions and technologies, the resilience of crops and livestock to climate change.
As for the Governance, it requires strong coordination across the SO actions, including policy dialogue, improved regulatory frameworks, and investment in food security and nutrition. Moreover, multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder coordination, public awareness, citizen engagement, promoting innovation, and developing capacities at individual, system, and organizational levels are all required to improve governance for food security and nutrition. The the AFSeN-A governance structures are (i) ministries; (ii) other stakeholders (local institutions, NGOs, civil society organizations, private sector, and international partners).