Improved Livelihoods and Nutrition in Tajikistan .

Many women and children in the Khatlon region of Tajikistan lack access to sufficient vitamin A, iron, zinc, iodine, and proteins, which has led to a 31 percent stunting rate. USAID’s Feed the Future Tajikistan Agriculture and Water Activity (TAWA) works to reduce these nutrition deficiencies, supporting farmers in nutrition-sensitive agriculture sectors so they can increase their yields and incomes. Farmers and entrepreneurs in the Khatlon province are learning best practices to increase, diversify, and add value to the production and processing of fruit, vegetable, and dairy products. Women in the Khatlon provide the majority of manual farm labor, so targeting them with agricultural knowledge and technology is vital. The activity ensures that both female and male farmers have access to extension services and agricultural inputs. In addition to training the extension agents who share knowledge and farming methods, TAWA also develops public-private partnerships and leads public outreach campaigns that reinforce behavior changes in both production and consumption.