CRI – IFAD Project

DCA received funding from IFAD to implement a project called the Crisis Response Initiative - Afghanistan (CRI). CRI project is designed based on the socio-economic impacts of the long years of conflict and the pandemic, effects of the near collapse of the financial institutions and the ripple effects associated with the Ukraine crisis. It will promote synergies with other agencies and organizations operating in the country for humanitarian and related essential livelihood activities. CRI resources will be used to finance production, processing and marketing activities of beneficiaries in 5 regional hubs and 10 satellite provinces where the target groups are predominant and whose livelihoods are in the livestock-dairy industry, poultry, lamb fattening, wool and cashmere production. The project goal and objective are as follows: Project Goal: Impacts of the Ukraine war crisis ripple effects on 100,000 vulnerable settled and nomadic pastoralist households (HH) in Afghanistan is minimized. Objective: Livelihood assets and production capacity protected and restored, and access to market and financing facilitated. The CRI is a response to the customary leaders’ and communities’ requests in provinces where the IFAD financed projects were halted and newly identified provinces where the target beneficiaries are present. Specifically the project will support the dairy value chain (as a follow up to CLAP and the focus of the RPSF) including other commodities and products such as poultry, lamb, wool and cashmere. Based on the request of customary leaders the CRI: i) expands to more geographic locations and beneficiaries to provide inputs and basic assets; ii) scale up value chain/VC activities more VC stakeholders (small farmer producers, processors, buyers, including SME players); iii) financing support to assets and facilities that will strengthen the efficient functioning of the supply/value chain of the livestock-dairy industry. It contributes to the MDGs mainly Goal 1 - eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, and Goal 3 - promote gender equality and gender empowerment. The beneficiaries are the nomadic Kuchi, smallholder milk producers, livestock output processing plants and factories bearing in mind the disruption in their access to veterinary services, animal feed and access to markets especially for the perishable dairy, and other value chain products as a result of the pandemic. Field assessment indicated that there are more than 6 private and cooperative dairy processing plants, more than 4 wool and over 2 cashmere fiber factories in the regions. On the other hand, DCA has already established 200+ Veterinary Field Units (VFUs), 19 feed banks, 24 milk collection centers (MCC), 235 small and medium enterprises (SMEs, stop-shops) and lamb-fattening in the 15 provinces. CRI will work with the above stakeholders and 100,000 beneficiary households.The project is targeting small producers and value chain actors in 5 regional hubs and 10 satellite provinces following their nomadic trails. The project has three components/pillars: i) Provision of inputs and basic assets for production -this mainly covers training and refresher course to paravets, free/subsidized animal health services to the most-at-risk communities, establishment of feed banks, and extension services. ii) Facilitated access to markets - consisting of milk collection centers and dairy plants, SMEs (eg. Self-help groups), lamb fattening and field days and iii) Financing support to assets and facilities strengthened through distribution of start-up capital for businesses of stop-shop keepers/sales points, financial and technical support to herders to improve their production and sales, and poultry production. DCA will also coordinate with the DFA national and local authorities, the Kuchi Board and customary leaders and influencers such as Shura, Malik, Jirga, women courtyards and Mullah (religious) leaders to facilitate needs-based approach, create ownership and improve sustainability. The project is well positioned in terms of monitoring, evaluation, accountability, learning, knowledge management and exit to ensure the sustainability of the components.