Biweekly Report: September 1-15, 2010 Incentives Driving Economic Alternatives—North, East and West (IDEA-NEW)

The program targets instability and insurgency locales and buffer zones to curb narco-trafficking, increase job creation, strengthen Afghan leadership, and promote economic growth. Activities are undertaken to foster trust and infuse communities with cash and income through Community Constructed Infrastructure (CCI) projects, which are then built upon to maintain long-term focus on sustainable growth in the agriculture and rural development sectors. The program is predominantly centered in the Eastern Region but also addresses interrelated issues of instability and economic development in select areas of the country's Northern, Northeastern, and Western Regions. Major emphasis is on job creation, agricultural sales, and capacity building. IDEA-NEW provides support and linkages to overall US government counter-insurgency (COIN) priorities through local-level agricultural and private sector development, and by engaging local government to respond to the needs of its constituencies in these sectors. Three partners implement IDEA-NEW: Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI), ACDI/VOCA, and Mercy Corps. DAI works in the East and West, ACDI/VOCA in the North/Central region, and Mercy Corps in the Northeast. IDEA-NEW interventions have benefited 130,337 families in 14 provinces throughout the North, East, and West of Afghanistan. Job creation is a significant focus of the program, with a total of 11,561 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs created since July 2009 in the sectors of agriculture, community-constructed infrastructure (CCI), and rural business development. IDEA-NEW has paid more than USD 1.8 million in wages to over 20,000 people on CCI projects to date. The program has also established more than 250 commercial and small-sized production farms that are used as training grounds, where farmers are trained in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) on modern crop techniques like raised beds and staggered planting. A total of 157,633 people have been trained on these farms and through other agriculture- and livestock training programs. Additionally, 2,763 hectares of cropland have been planted to high-yielding annual and perennial horticulture varieties. These efforts aim to increase agricultural productivity and promote agribusiness development in the region. IDEA-NEW's activities are implemented in various regions of Afghanistan, with a focus on the Eastern Region. The program's impact is evident in the creation of jobs, establishment of commercial and small-sized production farms, and training of farmers in modern crop techniques. These efforts contribute to the overall goal of promoting economic growth and stability in the region.