WCS Afghanistan

Spring flush on rangelands in Bamyan Province

WCS Afghanistan

Community rangers surveying for urial wild sheep

WCS Afghanistan

Upland wetland, Pamir mountains

WCS Afghanistan

Grazing herds, Wakhan corridor

Photo credit: IRD/AVIPA Plus

Shah Mohammed demonstrates his family’s new two-wheel tractor. The tractor will enable Mohammed and his five brothers to cultivate an additional crop of winter wheat on their family’s seven-acre plot.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

The Spin Boldak District Governor (center) and village elders inaugurate the new 28.3 kilometer Robat Road that connects three villages with the district center.

WCS Afghanistan/J. Winnie

Aerial shot of Kret village in Wakhan with Baba Tangi mountain in the background (one of the highest peaks in Afghanistan).

USAID/AWATT

A member of the community in Shindand District in Herat Province watches as the karez is closed. This stops the water from flowing onward as it has for centuries, backing it up to its underground source.

U.S. Embassy/Daniel Wilkinson

U.S. Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry and Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Mohammad Asif Rahimi, inaugurated a Farm Mechanization Program at Badam Bagh farm.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

A Kandahar farmer calls the “Good Field, Good Harvest” radio program to get answers to his agriculture questions.

USAID/Julie Fossler

At the 2009 Kabul International Fresh Fruit and Vegetable AgFair, an attendee inspects a display of Afghanistan’s fresh produce.

Daniel Wilkinson

U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry tours the 2010 International Agricultural Fair, held in Kabul on October 6.

USAID/Afghanistan

A farmer and his horse at the Mazar AgFair, October 2008.

CRS/Afghanistan

In Herat Province, farmer Mola Shah Gool earned $660 from his greenhouse last winter during a time period when he normally has no income.

USAID/Afghanistan

A government trainer demonstrates how to identify common livestock illnesses.

USAID/CBSG

A trainee carries the beehive she received with at the end of the training.

USAID/Afghanistan

A woman places peppers out to dry.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

Abdul Wahab is shown with his three-year-old dairy cow, Ablaka. Livestock is an integral part of rural life, providing Afghan families with dairy products, wool, meat, and manure for gardens.

USAID/Afghanistan

Afghan-grown carrots on display at a recent AgFair.

USAID/ASAP

Afghan melons on their way to markets in India.

USAID/Afghanistan

Visitors to Babur Gardens in Kabul view the Afghanistan Works photo exhibit.

USAID/Afghanistan

A vendor from India demonstrates his pomegranate juicer at the Pomegranate Fair, November 2008.

USAID/LGCD/DAI

During a USAID-funded horticulture and forestation training program in Kunar, a student and trainer inspect a recently planted tree. The program provided 875 farmers and Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock staff with training on orchard establishment, nurseries, woodlots, and natural resource management.

USAID/ASAP

Acting Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Saleem Khan Kunduzi and U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry visit the booth of a woman selling traditional clothes at the AgFair.

USAID/Afghanistan

(Left to right) USAID Mission Director Earl Gast, Minister of Finance Omar Zakhilwal, Minister of Agriculture Asif Rahimi, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, and U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry sign the Agricultural Development Fund grant at Badam Bagh Demonstration Farm.

USAID/Afghanistan

Minister of Agriculture Asif Rahimi, U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah converse with an Afghan farmer after the signing of the Agricultural Development Fund grant. The $100 million fund will provide access to credit for rural Afghan farmers.

USAID/Afghanistan

Ambassador Karl Eikenberry (center) enjoys fresh Afghan-grown cherries with USAID Mission Director Earl Gast and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah after the signing of the Agricultural Development Fund grant.

USAID/Afghanistan

Alkoni melons are carefully packaged for export.

US Embassy/Dan Wilkerson

U.S. Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry (left) and Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Asif Rahimi cut the ribbon to open the Kabul International AgFair.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

U.S. Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry (left), Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Asif Rahimi (center), and USAID Acting Mission Director Kevin Brownawell sign a Memorandum of Understanding inaugurating the National Seed Distribution Program, a USAID-funded program aimed at providing subsidized wheat seed and fertilizer to 260,000 Afghan farmers.

USAID/Afghanistan

U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, Afghan Agriculture Minister Asif Rahimi, and Acting USAID Mission Director Kevin Brownawell signed a Memorandum of Understanding to initiate a national wheat seed distribution program. More than 260,000 Afghan farmers in 31 provinces will receive vouchers to purchase seed and fertilizer through USAID’s agriculture voucher program.

USAID/IDEA-NEW

An Afghan farmer plants a tree sapling.

USAID/ADP/E

A farmer takes pride in his fresh crops.

USAID/ADP/E

A young man learns how to run a tailoring business as part of an apprenticeship program for day laborers in Jalalabad.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

More than 60 Arghandab elders gave testimony on the effectiveness of USAID-funded orchard rehabilitation projects. Some orchard owners expect a five-fold increase in income compared to previous years.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

Maj. Joseph Roberts of the U.S. Army 42nd Cavalry meets with AVIPA Plus engineers, village elders, and members of the Joint District Coordination center in Spin Boldak.

USAID

United States Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Asif Rahimi open the Farm Service Center for Women in Kabul on August 16.

USAID/AVIPA

Haji Kamal received high-quality seeds to increase his crop yield.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

Farmer beneficiaries at a USAID/AVIPA Plus voucher distribution center in Nad-e Ali district load sacks of fertilizers onto the wagon of their tractor. They will also receive appropriate training, as well as various vegetable seeds, plastic sheeting, and steel hoops for setting up low tunnels on their farms.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

The Garmser Deputy District Governor shakes hands with a board member of an agricultural cooperative as he hands over the keys to the tractors and other heavy agricultural equipment the cooperative has just received from AVIPA Plus at a grants distribution ceremony.

IRD/AVIPA Plus/John Wendle

Farmers are registered at a voucher distribution of seed and fertilizer in Kandahar. Through the AVIPA Plus-Kandahar program, USAID has distributed nearly 9,000 seed and fertilizer packages as of March 2010.

USAID/Afghanistan

A farmer smiles after sowing his field with high-yield seeds in northern Afghanistan.

USAID/AVIPA

A widowed farmer casts high-yield seeds on her field in Jawzjan Province.

USAID/AVIPA Plus

Voucher recipients from the Mian Poshtay area of southern Garmser District, Hilmand Province, carry sacks of AVIPA Plus fertilizer, vegetable seed, and plastic low tunnel components from a Marine base to waiting tractors.

USAID/Afghanistan

A farmer in Balkh celebrates his bountiful wheat crop in 2009.

USAID/AWATT

Construction of an efficient, reinforced concrete cement turnout.

USAID/ADP-E/DAI

23,000 chicks hatched in December, laying the foundation for a poultry industry revival in eastern Afghanistan.

USAID/ASAP

A customer inspects spinach grown at the Badam Bagh Demonstration Farm in Kabul.

USAID/Afghanistan

Farmers at work in Badam Bagh.

USAID/Afghanistan

Officials water a new sapling at the Baghe Qazi historical garden in old Kabul.

USAID/ADP/N/David DeVoss

Baharak Bazaar vegetable trader Faiz Mohammad (left) has enjoyed brisk sales since the completion of USAID’s road building campaign.

Wildlife Conservation Society

Breathtaking views such as this one await Afghan and international tourists who visit Band-e-Amir National Park in Bamyan province.

USAID/Julie Fossler

On April 22, 2009, Band-e-Amir - a series of six lakes in Bamyan Province - was declared Afghanistan's first national park.

USAID/Sarah Siegel

A pristine lake at Band-e-Amir National Park.

USAID/Sarah Siegel

At Band-e-Amir in Bamyan Province, officials including U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, Vice President Karim Khalili, Bamyan Governor Habiba Sarobi, and NEPA Director-General Prince Mostapha Zaher cut the ribbon to dedicate Afghanistan's first national park.

USAID/ASAP

The concentrate is then stored in barrels and prepared for export.

Azizullah Karimi/IDEA-NEW

The Behsud District Textile Factory provides washing, pressing, and dyeing services to small and medium-sized textile weaving enterprises.

USAID/Afghanistan

U.S. Ambassador Eikenberry and Hilmand Governor Mangal celebrate the opening of the Bost Airstrip.

USAID/Afghanistan

Ambassador Wood speaks with veterinarians on the grounds of the new Badakshan Veterinary Clinic.

USAID/ASAP

Wakil Tawoos Khan is one of the many internally displaced persons at Camp Hilmand who were grateful for a recent food distribution from USAID’s Badam Bagh Demonstration Farm.

USAID/ASAP

More than 1,400 workers earned an income from cleaning the Balkh Canal.

USAID/Afghanistan

Women spin cashmere thread at the Mazari Sharif International AgFair and Cashmere Exhibition, which took place March 12-13, 2009.

USAID/ASAP

The owner of Sodis Masood Co. Ltd inspects cashmere waiting to be packaged for export.

USAID/ASAP

A herder displays cashmere at the Road Show.

USAID/ASGP

A grant from the Ambassador’s Small Grants Program allowed a local association in Char Bolak to purchase ten cows and run a livestock program for vulnerable women.

USAID/IDEA-NEW

A woman weighs cheese at the Spinghar Cheese Processing Center.

Dr. Zahir, NPO/RRAA

An agriculture advisor monitors the assembly of chicken coops that will house chickens distributed to impoverished women in Mendrawol Village, Laghman Province.

USAID/Chemonics

Chili seedbeds at the Bolan Farm.

Wildlife Conservation Society

Kormal (top center) works with other rangers to set up a camera trap in the Wakhan. Under his leadership, they became the first Afghan community ranger team to successfully perform wildlife surveys without the assistance of foreign advisors, as well as the first to camera trap the endangered snow leopard.

USAID/Julie Fossler

Seeds and grains were on display at October's AgFair in Kabul, sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Afghanistan International Chamber of Commerce, and USAID. This fair helped farmers find new dealers and distributors for their products and helped industry contacts gain access to the lucrative and growing Afghan market.

USAID/Idrees Ilham

170,000 people attended the recent USAID-sponsored AgFair in Kabul, which brought together farmers, private businesses, government officials, agriculture development programs, and association members to exchange ideas, form partnerships, and celebrate Afghan agriculture.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Mohammad Asif Rahimi, Wardak Governor Hadim Fidai and Mustafa Sadiq, owner of the juice factory, examine apples from Wardak province during a tour of the Omaid Bahar facility.

Azizullah Karimi / IDEA-NEW

Husain Safi, Director of Nangarhar Agriculture and Livestock addressed the conference.

USAID/ADP/E

A technician switches on the Dodarak Micro-Hydropower Plant for the first time.

USAID/ASAP

Cherries are among the many dried fruits from Afghanistan that are sparking appetite around the world.

USAID/IRP

Cartons of eggs stand in the front of Abdul Naser’s market stall in Kishim, Badakhshan Province.

USAID/ADP/E

Eucalyptus saplings are unloaded for distribution in Kunar Province as part of a USAID-sponsored tree planting campaign to restore forestry in eastern Afghanistan. During the March 2009 campaign, 1.2 million locally grown trees were planted.

USAID/ADP/E

Fans and lights are switched on for the first time in village head Malik Mir Alam Khan’s guest room.

Elaine Eliah USAID/ADPNW

Nazo, one of the top tailors at the garment production center, loves designing women’s clothing and can reproduce designs pictured in magazines.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

Ahmad Jan cultivates a six-hectare plot of land in Kandahar Province with his 11 children and another 20 family members.

Matt Herrick

Mohammed Shah, one of five area farmers invested in a shallow well in Logar, pauses to chat while harvesting onions.

USAID/Afghanistan

“I did not have peace of mind farming poppies,” says Almas-ullah.

USAID/Afghanistan

Muhammad Sarwar, a farmer who benefited from USAID-supported training.

USAID/Afghanistan

Farmers from Zabul Province traveled to Kandahar City to learn new techniques in vine care, production, and post-harvest handling.

USAID/IDEA-NEW

Farmers receive training to increase crop yields in Badakhshan Province.

USAID/Afghanistan

Under the watchful eye of H.E. Minister Asif Rahimi, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, farmers lined up to register to receive vouchers that they used to purchase seed and fertilizer through USAID’s agriculture voucher program.

RD/SPR-SEA/Javed Khan

Ali Jan supervises the construction of his fish farm, supported by a grant from USAID.

IRD/SPR-SEA/Javed Khan

Ali Jan’s fish farm holds 2,500 fish and provides him with an income of $200 per month. All of his school-aged children are now able to attend school.

USAID/ASMED

An Afghan entrepreneur displays his fresh fruit at the trade fair in Moscow.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

Fruit is inspected by workers at the Omaid Bahar factory. The factory provides jobs for approximately 200 Afghans.

USAID/Afghanistan

Fruit on display at a recent USAID-sponsored Agricultural Fair.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

Pomegranates are processed for juicing at the Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing Company's new factory.

USAID/WOCCU

Sayed Mahmmad and his brother prepare their produce for sale.

USAID/IDEA-NEW

A woman in Puli Khumri practices her gabion-weaving skills.

USAID/IDEA-NEW

Bibi Ayesha (above) and 119 other women learned to weave gabion at a USAID training.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

Ghulam Farooq Ahmadzada is the head of a cooperative of 150 farmers who recently benefitted from an AVIPA Plus grant.

USAID/Julie Fossler

Members of the Mobile Mini Circus for Children wait their turn to entertain thousands of AgFair visitors. 170,000 people visited the fair over three days - the largest peaceful gathering in Afghanistan in over 30 years.

USAID/Afghanistan

Governor Mangal speaks at the Helmand AgFair on August 10, 2008.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

Abdul Mutalib, District Governor of Marja, cuts the ribbon on one of four tractors awarded to two Marja cooperatives, part of an in-kind grant through USAID’s AVIPA Plus project.

USAID/Afgahistan

Grains on display at the Badakhshan AgFair in 2007.

USAID/Afghanistan, Richard Fite

Farmers participate in grape trellising training in Samangan Province as part of the IDEA-NEW project.

USAID/ADP

80% of greenhouse plants survived the recent snow in Herat province.

USAID/WOCCU

A farmer in Dand prepares his greenhouse for winter planting.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Mohammad Asif Rahimi and other guests observe the juicing process at the new Omaid Bahar Juice Concentrate Processing and Fresh Fruit Packaging Facility in Kabul.

USAID/ASAP

Kuchi nomads learn to comb their goats to collect valuable cashmere.

USAID/David DeVoss

USAID's veterinary clinics helped this herdsman maintain a healthy flock of goats in Badakhshan.

Wildlife Conservation Society

The ibex is now one of Afghanistan’s protected species.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

Mullah Mahboob points out a field watered by a karez cleaned by local laborers through the USAID-funded AVIPA Plus project.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

Juicing begins at the USAID-funded Omaid Bahar Juice Concentrate Processing and Fresh Fruit Packaging Facility.

USAID/ASAP

The AgDepot Farm Store in Mir Bacha Kot, Kabul Province, sells modern farming supplies, such as grape trellises, to improve local crops.

USAID/ASAP

Veterinarian Janan displays cashmere collected from Kandahar province at the Kabul International Fresh Fruit and Vegetable AgFair.

USAID/IRD/AVIPA Plus

Hajji Baba admires a pomegranate tree in his orchard.

USAID/Afghanistan, CHAMP

President H.E. Hamid Karzai inspects Afghan pomegranates ready for export as Roots of Peace President and founder Heidi Kuhn looks on.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

Sardar Mohammed is the Kuchi Department Director for Kandahar Province. He says that while many aid projects overlook the needs of Afghan nomads, livestock tools and implements distributed by AVIPA Plus are making a difference for many in his community.

USAID/ASAP

Training program participants said that cashmere harvesting is a profitable opportunity that fits well with their nomadic lifestyle.

USAID/Afghanistan

A customer purchases high-quality cauliflower seeds at the Laghman Farm Store, which provides agriculture supplies and services to support key licit crops and animal health.

USAID/PEACE

Kuchi and Hazara leaders address land-access issues through peaceful negotiation.

Wildlife Conservation Society

The large-billed reed warbler is just one example of the many rare or unusual species that make the beautiful Wakhan Corridor even more attractive to adventure tourists and ecotourists. USAID is working with local communities to maximize tourism benefits while protecting precious natural resources.

USAID/ADP/SW

Members of the Lash Wa Juwayn Community Development Council show their appreciation for the canal cleaning project.

Azizullah Karimi / IDEA-NEW

Husain Safi, Director of Nangarhar Agriculture and Livestock addressed the conference.

USAID/IDEA-NEW

Mr. Ebrahim, a livestock owner, brought 800 goats and sheep to be de-wormed in Bilchiragh District of Faryab Province.

USAID/Afghanistan

Local farmers bring their children to learn basic livestock management skills from government trainers.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Asif Rahimi observes operations at the USAID-funded Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing Company. The company will purchase and process fruit from 50,000 Afghan farmers.

USAID/Afghanistan

An Afghan farmer works in the olive fields of Nangarhar.

DAI

“Exporting produce to the United Arab Emirates used to be just a dream: The risks were too high for me to bear. Today, ALP/E made my dream come true. A world of opportunities opens for me and many other Afghan traders,” Wali Mohammad, son of Hamidullah, Hadyatullah-Samsour Bam, Ltd. Qarghayi, Laghman

USAID/ALP/E

Mr. Mohammad Noor recently returned from Badakhshan Province where he worked in the poppy fields.

USAID/Julie Fossler

A carpet weaver sets up his loom at the USAID-sponsored National AgFair, held October 24-26 at Badam Bagh farm in Kabul. Businesses and associations exchanged ideas, formed partnerships, and celebrated Afghan handicrafts as well as agriculture.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

The district governor of Marja calls on elders to participate in USAID's AVIPA voucher distribution program, which will deliver 4,000 mobile water pumps to the district.

USAID/AVIPA Plus

The first shipment of irrigation pumps reaches Marja, Hilmand province. USAID's AVIPA Plus project will ultimately deliver 4,000 pumps to Marja's farmers.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

AVIPA Plus irrigation pumps and tubes are unloaded and stand ready for an upcoming voucher distribution to farmers at the Marja District Government Center.

USAID/Afghanistan

An Afghan woman markets her handicrafts at the Mazar-i-Sharif AgFair in Balkh Province.

USAID/Afghanistan

Women spin cashmere thread at the Mazari Sharif AgFair and Cashmere Exhibition.

USAID/Afghanistan

At the Mazari Sharif International AgFair, an Afghan woman demonstrates her carpet weaving skills. USAID supports carpet weaving training and carpet branding programs to help women carpet weavers improve their craft and sales opportunities.

USAID/Afghanistan

Wholesalers supported through improved packaging

USAID/Afghanistan

Trade promotion: a priority in ALP/E’s activities

USAID/ADP-E

Shah Bibi is one of 18 women selected by their home communities to take part in an 18-month course offered by the Ghanikhail Midwifery Training Center.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

Minister Mohammad Asif Rahimi (center) explains the importance of the juice concentrate facility for Afghanistan’s stability.

USAID/Afghanistan

H.E. Minister Asif Rahimi, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock spoke to an audience gathered to witness the Minister, U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, and USAID Acting Mission Director Kevin Brownawell sign a Memorandum of Understanding to initiate a national wheat seed distribution program. More than 260,000 Afghan farmers in 31 provinces will receive vouchers to purchase seed and fertilizer through USAID’s agriculture voucher program.

USAID/Harry Edwards

Minister of Agriculture Obaidullah Ramin greets USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore at Badam Bagh Farm.

USAID/AWATT

Mirabs discuss water management challenges in small groups.

USAID/IDEA-NEW

Muhammad Rahim Karimzai holds a press conference after being elected as the first Talc Association Director.

USAID/Afghanistan

Director Nasrullah Bakhtani of MAIL’s Monitoring and Evaluation Division reports his group’s findings.

USAID/Afghanistan, Abigail Sugrue

NBC correspondent Richard Engel speaking with a local community leader in Band-e-Amir.

USAID/PEACE

In Bamyan, Kuchi and Hazara leaders discuss a long-standing land access dispute after training in peaceful negotiation techniques.

USAID/ASAP

The new irrigation technique was introduced to Afghan farmers at Badam Bagh farm in Kabul.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

A worker at the Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing Company shows the factory's modern facilities. The factory will produce juice from Afghan pomegranates, apples, melons, apricots, and peaches.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

The new Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing Company factory makes high-quality pomegranate juice for domestic consumption and export.

USAID/IRD AVIPA Plus

Orchard workers pack pomegranates for export. Orchard management projects funded by USAID are contributing to bigger harvests and higher-quality fruit in Arghandab.

USAID/Julie Fossler

Pride of the Eastern Region-brand vegetables on display at AgFair. The USAID-sponsored cooperative based in Jalalabad strengthened their industry contacts and networked with thousands of attendees of the National AgFair, held in Kabul from October 24-26.

USAID/ASAP

Newly introduced cartons hold five to six kg of produce, resulting in less pressure in the cartons and a reduced loss of produce during shipping.

USAID

Packing pomegranates in Kandahar

IRD/AVIPA Plus

Farmers show pomegranate boughs cleaned of aphids as a result of the USAID/AVIPA Plus Integrated Pest Management program. The program trained workers to spray an ecologically friendly solution made from locally available materials on the lush orchards of Kandahar, successfully combating the massive aphid infestation.

Matt Herrick

The 20-year-old son of Habiabdul Habib, owner of the 10,000-tree Paghman orchard, loads wooden crates full with apples. After successive years of drought, the family experienced tremendous success in 2003. Their income rose by $15,629. The apricot crop increased by 16,880 kg.

Matt Herrick

Nadir, a farmer in Baghram, says his irrigation has improved significantly in 2003, even at 6.5km from the Ghorband dams.

Photo: USAID

Muhammad Sarwar, a farmer who benefited from USAID-supported training.

Photo: USAID

Afghan farmers cash in seed and fertilizer vouchers as part of a USAID-assisted poppy eradication program.

USAID/Afghanistan

Farmers from Zabul Province traveled to Kandahar City to learn new techniques in vine care, production, and post-harvest handling.

Photo: RAMP, AfghanistanSusan DeCamp

Local farmers from Kunduz working to de-silt the Char Dara irrigation system in Northeast Afghanistan.

Photo Credit: CRS/Afghanistan

In Herat Province, farmer Mola Shah Gool earned $660 from his greenhouse last winter during a time period when he normally has no income.

Matt Herrick

Abdul Aquil, at the wheel of his tractor, brings crops to market on the Jaghatu to Rashidan road. "The road increases trade between the villages,” says Abdul.

Sharif Usmani

Drying of export quality apricots, Wardak, July 2007.

USAID/Afghanistan

“Men would come every day to work and be happy to work because we are making our land better and we have a chance to begin again.” –A returned refugee

UNOPS

AFTER: A fully functioning Afghan Geological Survey complex will provide a framework for successful and controlled development of Afghanistan’s natural resources, forming an integral part of the country’s efforts for economic development.

Photo Credit: Afghan Conservation Corps

Pistachio reforestation activities have created jobs for rural villagers. Communities are working together towards longer-term sustainable development.

Matt Herrick

12-year-old Omid, standing among the lush garden hidden behind the mud walls of the family compound in the Charasiab district of Kabul.

Johannes Oosterkamp

Pistachio saplings at the Department of Agriculture farm in the Tagab District of Badakshan are grown and waiting to be distributed to farmers.

USAID/ADP/E

In Nuristan Province, a USAID field technician shows farmers how to plant a sapling. During the March 2009 campaign to restore forestry in eastern Afghanistan, 1.2 million trees were planted.

USAID/ASAP

A tractor plows land in Balkh’s Dihdadi district to ensure that wild pistachio seedlings have proper spacing and irrigation.

USAID/Afghanistan

A pomegranate grower speaks with the press at the first World Pomegranate Fair, Kabul, November 2008.

USAID/ASAP

In the OMAID Bahar juice factory, a worker shows how pomegranates are turned into juice concentrate.

USAID/ASAP

A worker inspects pomegranates before the fruit is turned into juice concentrate.

USAID/Afghanistan

Pomegranates on display at the first World Pomegranate Fair, November 2008.

USAID/ASAP

A USAID-built cellar in Badakhshan Province.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

Dan Mooney, chief of party of USAID's Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP), pours fresh juice for the Italian Ambassador and other dignitaries.

USAID/ADP/E

Cauliflower produced and sold under the brand Pride of the Eastern Region.

USAID/Afghanistan

Processed tomatoes on display at the Mazar AgFair, October 2008.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

The Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing Company opened the first fruit processing and juicing facility in Afghanistan on October 15, 2009. The USAID-funded factory will produce juices from Afghan pomegranates, apples, melons, apricots, and peaches.

USAID/Sarah Siegel

Ambassador Eikenberry, Vice President Khalili, Governor Sarobi, and Prince Zaher cut the ribbon to dedicate Band-e-Amir.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

The ribbon is cut to inaugurate the Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing Facility, which is the first juice concentrate factory in Afghanistan.

USAID/ADP/E

Trainees receive wool, nylon, and looms to start their own textile businesses.

USAID/ASMED

The Nangarhar Seed Producer and Wholesaler Association’s new seed storage facility in Jalalabad.

USAID/Afghanistan

Sewing machine on display at the 2007 Badakshan AgFair.

USAID/Afghanistan

A vendor slices a melon at the Kunduz AgFair in June 2008. Kunduz is known throughout Afghanistan for its quality melons.

Wildlife Conservation Society

This snow leopard was photographed by a motion-sensing camera in the Wakhan Corridor of Badakhshan.

Texas A&M; University PEACE Project

A new soils website gives site-specific soils data for planning, development, management, training, and research purposes.

USAID/AWATT

Women in Parwan dry apricots and onions in locally made solar dryers.

USAID/ASAP

Workers sort and pack cherries at Badam Bagh Demonstration Farm in Kabul to prepare them for export to India and the UAE.

USAID/ASAP

Afghan women sort pomegranates before they are processed into juice concentrate. Afghanistan’s new facility will create 200 jobs and benefit an estimated 50,000 farmers.

USAID/IRD/SPR-SEA

Mapari from Lokhai, Nangarhar, can now provide for her children and send them to school as a result of SPR community grants.

IRD/AVIPA Plus

A farmer in Kandahar protects his orchard from pests with an eco-friendly solution of soap and water. The USAID/AVIPA Plus Integrated Pest Management program trained workers to spray the solution, made from locally available materials, on the lush orchards of Kandahar, successfully combating the massive aphid infestation.

Texas A&M; University PEACE Project

A student intern at Kabul University carefully cleans and documents plant specimens.

USAID/WOCCU

“The money that I received has been more than enough to help me and my family.”

Ajmal Nuristani

Eighteen-year-old Abdul Khaliq helps terrace a hillside in Nurguram, Nuristan Province.

Johannes Oosterkamp

The rehabilitated Karaste Canal channels water to low-lying farms and sloping and upland fields in Tagab District, spurring agricultural production in this cluster of villages along the Tagab River. In response, the provincial Department of Agriculture has put up an extension office to help farmers further increase their yield.

USAID/Afghanistan

Tomatoes on their way to the market. USAID's Agriculture and Alternative Development programs strengthen farm-to-market transportation.

Daniel Wilkinson/State Department

Traditional water pots line a wall in Kabul Afghanistan.

USAID/ADP-E/DAI

Training at the Kunar Directorate of Agriculture for new text message system distribution market price information.

USAID/Idrees Ilham

Two boys enjoy a late October treat at AgFair. In addition to the trade show, the USAID-sponsored National AgFair in Kabul was packed with performances by popular musicians, comedians, and the children's circus (and of course, ice cream!). This free event, dubbed "Afghanistan's Glastonbury" by The Independent, brought fun and enjoyment to a city often overshadowed by conflict.

USAID/Julie Fossler

Vendors from Pride of the Eastern Region-brand foods display vegetables at the USAID-sponsored National AgFair in October 2007. In addition to showcasing new trends and techniques in agriculture to increase crop yield and improve quality, AgFair aimed to further develop the agriculture value chain by connecting farmers, dealers, and distributors.

USAID/ASAP

USAID helped Salam Jan, president of the Gardez Vegetable Association, by designing a logo and producing special cartons for transporting his apples safely across the border into Pakistan. Salam Jan then used the Kabul International AgFair to expand into other markets.

USAID/ASAP

Din Mohammad, a wheat farmer from the village of Sarasyab in Balkh, is grateful for USAID-funded wheat seed and fertilizer that enabled him to save surplus harvest for his family.

USAID/Afghanistan

A vendor from the Pride of the Eastern Region displays his vegetables at the Kabul AgFair in August of 2008.

Wildlife Conservation Society

Twelve-year-old Seema interviews a local Wakhan farmer for a USAID-funded survey on livestock mortality. She is a member of one of 56 committees formed at the school level to educate communities and raise awareness about environmental issues that affect their lives and livelihoods.

USAID/ASAP

A farmer in Wardak inspects his apple crop. In early November 2009, USAID helped farmers in Wardak and Paktya export their apples to India for the first time.

USAID/AVIPA

Farmers in Balkh Province rejoice in their bountiful wheat harvest. USAID provided farmers in Balkh and 13 other provinces with high-quality wheat seeds and fertilizer to increase crop yields and combat food insecurity.

Jeremy Foster RAMP/Afghanistan

After Fareba Miriam graduates from para-veterinarian training she will have the necessary skills to manage her own Veterinary Field Unit.

USAID/ASAP

Momena Mohammadi uses her stethoscope to check the health of cattle in the province of Hirat.

USAID/LGCD

A poultry farmer tends to her chickens in Qalat, Zabul.

USAID/ASAP

An Afghan woman uses a foot-treadle spinning wheel that has boosted her productivity and helped to provide jobs for other local women.

DAI

“My earnings at the nursery aren’t huge but they bring us a peace of mind. At last my husband and I can sleep at night since we no longer have to cultivate poppy so our children can go to school,” Shah Jan, Co-owner of a plug seedlings enterprise, Nangarhar

USAID/ALP/E GME Unit

“ALP/E provided me with vocational skills; now I can contribute to support my family and rebuild my country.”

USAID/IDEA-NEW

Women prepare growing media at a women-owned and -managed vegetable greenhouse.

USAID/LGCD

Women learn to clean and process raisins in Zabul.

USAID/ASAP

Women in Kunduz Province learn how to use combs to harvest valuable cashmere from their goats.

USAID/Afghanistan

Women employed in processing edible pinenuts.

USAID/LGCD/DAI

Women in Kunar learn to grow seedlings during a USAID-funded agriculture training program.

USAID/ALP/E GME Unit

USAID’s Alternative Livelihoods Program for Eastern Afghanistan promotes the incorporation of men and women as active players in the development of the rural economies. Vulnerable women receive skills training that enable them to support their families and regain ground in a challenging environment.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

The Omaid Bahar Fruit Processing Company employs approximately 200 workers, many of whom are women.

USAID/Afghanistan

Customers examine farm supplies at the Kabul Women’s Farm Store, which provides agricultural supplies and services to support key licit crops and animal health.

Ian F. Carver, ASAP

Workers prepare fruit at the Omaid Bahar Juice Concentrate Processing and Fresh Fruit Packaging Facility.

USAID/Afghanistan

Workers sorting pomegranates for export in Kandahar Province.