The Enhancing Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Resilient Value Chains in Afghanistan (SLVC-A) project is funded by the European Union and implemented through Dutch Committee for Afghanistan for the period 2026–2029. It targets rural communities across 5 Regional Hubs and 12 satellite provinces - Kabul (Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Bamyan, Khost, Paktika), Herat (Farah, Badghis), Kandahar (Urozgan), Nangarhar (Laghman, Kunar), Balkh (Faryab, Badakhshan)., reaching 300,000 households.

The project addresses ongoing challenges affecting rural livelihoods, including climate shocks, limited access to services, and weak market systems that constrain productivity and income generation in livestock and agriculture-dependent communities.

To address these challenges, the project focuses on strengthening climate-resilient, market-oriented livestock value chains and supporting the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to enhance employment opportunities and improve access to services. It promotes inclusive participation of vulnerable groups, including women, youth, returnees, internally displaced persons, pastoralists, and persons with disabilities, by improving their access to production inputs, services, and markets, and supporting their engagement in livestock-based livelihoods and income-generating activities.

The project also promotes climate-smart agriculture, sustainable resource management, and local capacity development to strengthen household resilience and social inclusion. In addition, it supports Afghan cashmere and wool certification under international standards to improve product quality, competitiveness, and market access.

Through these integrated interventions, the project contributes to increased income generation, improved service delivery, and more resilient and sustainable rural livelihoods across the target areas.

Afghanistan used to meet 80% of global opiate demand, with Helmand and Kandahar producing 65% of the crop. The 2021 UNODC report revealed that poppy cultivation generated $2.8 billion, primarily from southern Afghanistan. However, the April 2022 opium ban led to higher prices, worsening food insecurity and debt for farmers. This situation mirrors the challenges after the 2001 ban, which displaced many families and disrupted the opium-based credit system. The situation is even more difficult for marginalized groups such as women, children, the elderly, and internally displaced persons (IDPs), who face deepening poverty and limited access to essential services. Political instability, a harsh winter, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic have made things worse. Women's livelihoods have been hit hard, with a 63% reduction in employment, and over one million widowed women face discrimination and increased hardship. Dutch Committee for Afghanistan (DCA) under the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)-funded project, aims to improve livelihoods in poppy-growing regions like Kandahar. The project offers sustainable alternatives to poppy farming, including water harvesting, wheat production, and cultivating high-value crops like saffron, vegetables, and cotton. It also focuses on empowering women through animal husbandry and improving animal health services. Local communities will benefit from the establishment of milk collection centers, feed and seed banks, and training in modern farming techniques, which will help boost productivity and resilience. This initiative seeks to reduce dependency on poppy cultivation and promote long-term economic stability for Afghanistan's vulnerable populations.