Bishkek, 23 May - According to the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, in 2016 more than 1.55 million people lived below the poverty line, 74% of whom resided in rural areas. About 276 thousand people, or 88.6 thousand households, receive the Monthly Benefit for Low-Income Families with Children (MBLIF). The MBLIF, which is based on beneficiary identification and means-tested indicators, is the only social benefit targeted to the poor population.

The Government of Kyrgyzstan, with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and financial support from the Russian Federation, implements a pilot initiative designated as "Productive Social Contract / Cash Plus" which aims at supporting MBLIF beneficiaries residing in rural areas to move out of extreme poverty, by engaging in income-generating activities and improving their nutritional status.

By linking the beneficiaries of Kyrgyzstan’s social protection programme to nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices and social, productive and nutrition services, this pilot initiative aims to maximize nutrition and rural development outcomes.

Within the pilot initiative, FAO complements the existing cash benefits provided by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic under the MBLIF scheme with a menu of options for productive interventions. The productive options have been developed on the basis of MBLIF beneficiaries’ profile in the pilot are and take into account challenges and opportunities faced by low-income families both in their everyday lives and in the course of productive activities.

The project participants were given a choice between three productive packages. The first package aims to improve household nutrition through diet diversification and self-sufficiency in some nutritious foods. The second productive package helps households without regular access to irrigation water or with limited labour resources to diversify their diet, but does not guarantee self-sufficiency. The third productive package enables vulnerable households to be involved in income-generating activities and to unfold their labour potential.

Out of three options offered to pilot participants, the productive package aimed at income-generating activities was the most popular. Of 150 households participating in the pilot project, it was selected by 123 families. The high demand for the productive package that supports income generation serves as an evidence for the desire of vulnerable families to overcome poverty and actively participate in the economic life of the pilot region. Income diversification and their progressive growth will also have a positive impact on the nutritional status of vulnerable households.

In addition to high value crop seeds, such as cauliflower, cucumber, lentils, lettuce, spinach and tomato, under the income-generating productive package project beneficiaries receive medium-sized unheated tunnel greenhouses. These greenhouses allow households to produce certain crops almost throughout the year, from early spring to late autumn, thus meeting the demand of the local community for fresh vegetables and greenery in low agricultural season. Nutrition education will also ensure that additional income leads to improved nutritional status of vulnerable households.

To ensure a better use of the productive packages, beneficiaries are trained in agricultural technology and received regular support from FAO. Topics of training range from the basics of organic agriculture and integrated pest management to home-based fruit and vegetable processing. While a particular attention is paid to sustainable crop production methods, an imbedded nutrition-sensitive approach helps to maximize agriculture’s contribution to households’ nutrition.

Joint implementation of agronomy trainings for MBLIF beneficiaries with the existing national and local structures and services, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Industry and Melioration of the Kyrgyz Republic, builds national capacities in carrying out agricultural interventions and widens the social protection audience through operationalizing linkages between social protection and nutrition-sensitive productive interventions.

“Productive Social Contract / Cash Plus” pilot initiative is implemented under the FAO project, “Developing Capacity for Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Selected Countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia”, funded by the Russian Federation. The project emphasizes the connections between agriculture, nutrition and social protection in national food systems.