Agricultural production needs to grow by 60 percent between 2005 and 2050 to feed the world’s growing population, which is expected to reach 9.3 billion by 2050. 6 billion out of 9.3 will live in urban areas, roughly meaning some part of 3 billion rural habitants (who are farmers) will feed 9.3 billion people, with limited land and water and against challenges of changing climate. Every year, USD 83 billion (in 2009 USD) should be invested in the developing world to double their agricultural production.

UNDP, considering the demand from regional governments and international community, initiated a project for a tripartite regional consortium in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in agro-food industry. The first phase is concluded in October 2015 when the Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (AKT) Agro-food Industry Consortium signed by the governments; and the AKT Agro-food Industry Consortium launched at Dushanbe in October 2015. As part of the Feasibility & Build Up Phase, a comprehensive feasibility study started immediately after the launch.

This analytical and diagnostic work provides the most detailed assessment of agro-food value chains in in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to date, and identifies a set of concrete investment areas at the micro, meso and macro levels.