Photobook: Rural communities in Tunisia connecting the dots
This photobook showcases the impact of IFAD-supported projects on rural people in Tunisia, bringing to life their transformative stories.
In Khatlon Oblast, the poorest region of Tajikistan, decades of overgrazing has degraded pastoral land leading to low milk and meat production, food insecurity and malnutrition in rural areas. The Livestock and Pasture Development Project was implemented from 2011 to 2017 to improve the nutritional status and incomes of rural households by sustainably increasing livestock productivity.
The project established pasture user unions (PUUs) through which community members sustainably managed over 81,000 hectares of communal pasture land using rotational plans. Farmers received farming equipment and improved breeding rams to increase the productivity of their farms. They also received improved seed varieties so that they could grow sufficient animal feed.
Vulnerable households headed by women received starter packages of small ruminants, poultry and bees, and were trained in livestock care to strengthen their capacity to earn additional income. Water points and sheds for livestock were constructed and farmers got access to veterinary services.
IFAD conducted an ex-post impact assessment of the project, collecting qualitative and quantitative data from 2,400 households.
Key impact estimates
An impact estimate is calculated as the difference in mean outcomes between the treatment group (project participants) and the comparison group (non-participants).
The project reached almost 24,000 households in Khatlon Oblast, and resulted in significant increases in ownership of livestock and productive assets, such as sheds and shelters for animals.
Main lessons
This study draws the following insights for policy development and project implementation:
Resources