The impact of a livestock plus cash package on livestock smallholders in Afghanistan
©FAO / Hashim Azizi
| Introduction | Despite the importance of livestock interventions in humanitarian contexts, rigorous evidence remains limited. This study assesses a livestock-plus-cash package for 8 400 vulnerable households across three Afghan provinces, using an ex post quasi-experimental design in Badakhshan. Results show improved livestock management, milk productivity and food consumption, with some evidence of reduced livestock losses, but no measurable changes in fodder production or herd size. |
|---|---|
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Start date | 15/12/2023 |
| End date | 01/04/2026 |
| Status | Completed |
| Donor | European Union |
| Recipient / Target Areas | Afghanistan |
| Project Code | OSRO/AFG/143/EC |
| Objective / Goal |
The evaluation aims to assess the intervention’s effects on fodder production, livestock management practices, herd size, animal sales or losses, milk productivity and livestock-derived income, and to determine whether these changes translate into greater household food security. The study also documents operational insights to inform future scaling up. |
| Partners | FAO Country office of Afghanistan |
| Beneficiaries |
8 400 households (58 800 people), comprising nomadic and semi-settled herders in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan, Ghor and Kandahar provinces, classified in Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 3 (Crisis) or above |
| Activities | Data collection was undertaken in November and December 2025 among 1 498 households. |
| Contact | [email protected] |