UN’s FAO Supports Food Processing Centres for Women in Afghanistan

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is supporting women-led food processing centres in Afghanistan, helping women earn income and sustain their families.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reaffirmed its support for women-led food processing centres in Afghanistan, saying agriculture remains one of the last available income sources for women under Taliban rule. The agency says its projects provide essential livelihood opportunities as economic pressures and aid limitations intensify.

FAO noted that Afghanistan women are producing processed product; including jams, pickles and other preserved foods — to support their households. These initiatives form part of larger livelihood programmes aimed at helping vulnerable families survive amid widespread unemployment and rising food insecurity.

According to the agency, its broader food security programme targets the poorest 20 percent of families in selected districts. Since 2010, the initiative has reached over 385,000 people across 16 districts in eight provinces and supported nearly 55,000 households.

The push to sustain women’s participation comes as Afghanistan faces overlapping economic and humanitarian crises. With aid flows reduced and the job market collapsing, many families rely on small-scale farming and food production to survive.

Since regaining power, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women, barring them from education, public life and most forms of employment. Three months ago, officials extended these restrictions by banning Afghanistan women from working with UN agencies — cutting off critical access points for aid delivery.

Humanitarian organisations warn that excluding women from aid and economic activity will deepen hunger and poverty, especially among female-headed households. Aid agencies continue to urge the Taliban to reverse the bans, arguing that Afghanistan’s recovery and future stability depend on women’s full participation.

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