First Quarter Report: New Alternatives Program

The program is achieving this through three program components: Transition Activities, Capacity Building Activities, and Communications Activities. Transition Activities comprise the set of activities that will engage post-eradication communities, secure their commitment to remain free of coca cultivation, and coordinate and implement a set of activities designed to facilitate committed communities' transition to licit lifestyles. Component 1 Transition Activities have made substantial progress, with the NAP team initiating quick start activities, establishing a field presence, and coordinating activities with DEVIDA while developing its work plan with USAID guidance. The quick start implementation has paid dividends, with NAP support for DEVIDA culminating in signed agreements with communities and households in the Monzon Valley, an unprecedented event for the USAID and DEVIDA Alternative Development program. Key results achieved by New Alternatives Venture (NAV) include revising the post-eradication model and intervention process, assisting DEVIDA in revising the template for agreements between DEVIDA and communities committing to not replant coca in favor of licit economic activities, and accompanying DEVIDA in reinitiating first contact and agreement negotiations with communities. Capacity Building Activities comprise the set of activities designed to strengthen the capacity of public and private stakeholders to carry out activities and functions that contribute to the success of post-eradication activities, either directly or indirectly. NAP quickly engaged with its primary GOP counterpart DEVIDA to plan and begin delivering on capacity building activities, including providing substantial support to DEVIDA in advancing its design and implementing the Post-Eradication Plan during the initial phase of Transition activities. Communications Activities encompass a variety of strategic support and operational activities that will directly facilitate the success of transition activities, build support for program objectives among public opinion, and promote the commercialization of licit production from post-eradication areas. The NAP team has made substantial progress initiating component activities and achieving concrete results during the program's first quarter. The program has also made progress in identifying suppliers that will support the implementation and delivery of benefits included in post-eradication agreements and facilitating an agreement between USAID, the Peru Cocoa Alliance (APC), and DEVIDA regarding the implementation of post-eradication agricultural activities in the Huipoca area. The program's geographic focus is on post-eradication areas in Peru, with a specific emphasis on the Monzon Valley and the Huipoca area. The program's implementation details include the direct installation of 1,000 hectares of cacao and coffee, the implementation of farmer field schools (ECAs) to support farmers throughout Year 1, and the cultivation of complementary shade crops of banana, bean, and forest species. The program's timeframes include the first quarter of 2013, with a focus on initiating activities and achieving concrete results. Overall, the New Alternatives Program has made significant progress in its first quarter, with a focus on transitioning communities in post-eradication areas from coca dependency to licit livelihoods. The program's components, including Transition Activities, Capacity Building Activities, and Communications Activities, have all made progress in achieving their objectives.