ABSTRACT
In Khatlon province of Tajikistan, poverty and malnutrition are major economic and health issues affecting a very large number of children under 5 years old and among women. Tajikistan is located in Central Asia, where 49% of its rural population lives below the poverty line. Approximately 73% of the country’s 8.4 million citizens live in rural areas, where paid jobs are scarce and the average amount of arable land held per person is only 0.11 hectares. While 46.5% of the overall population is employed in agriculture, productivity in the sector is low and represents only 21% of national GDP. Food availability and accessibility could be increased by increasing production, improving distribution, and reducing postharvest losses and waste. Thus, establishing an effective agricultural extension system can substantially reduce of postharvest food losses as a critical component of ensuring future global food security. The USAID funded Farmer Advisory Services in Tajikistan (FAST) program, under the Feed the Future initiative, was designed to reduce poverty and malnutrition through improved nutrition and increasing family income by increased and improved agricultural production primarily for women and their children in the 12 districts of Khatlon Province, Tajikistan. The experience of the FAST project show that the provision of effective extension and advisory services can substantially reduce postharvest losses and improve the basis for improved nutrition in rural areas.
