Request for Information - Women in Agriculture Activity

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Request for Information (RFI) Subject:         USAID/Afghanistan Women in Agriculture Activity Reference:     RFI #72030624RFI00004 Date Issued:   March 05, 2024 Due Date:       March 18, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time ATTENTION: All Interested Parties The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Afghanistan, is seeking input from interested organizations and individuals who may provide information, opinions, and recommendations in response to the proposed questions outlined in this RFI for potential USAID interventions to tackle the underlying issues associated with women in Afghanistan who depend on agriculture for their livelihood. This is not a solicitation. This Request for Information (RFI) notice is solely issued for information and planning purposes only. The input related to interest, capabilities, and market information is highly encouraged from potential Applicants and other interested parties that choose to respond to this RFI. Responses to this notice are not considered an Application and will not be accepted or evaluated by the Government as a result of this RFI. Only responses with the information requested in this RFI will be reviewed. Responses received may be used for planning and design purposes. All responses regarding this RFI must be submitted electronically to Habib Rahman Amin, the Acquisition and Assistance Specialist at hramin@usaid.gov with eluma@usaid.gov in cc copy, by no later than March 18, 2024 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. Please include the title: “RFI# 72030624RFI00004 USAID/Afghanistan Women in Agriculture Activity'' in the subject line of your email. The submitted information must not exceed 7 pages, including annexes/attachments, if submitted. Submissions will receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt but will not receive individualized feedback or suggestions. USAID will not provide feedback or responses to questions submitted in response to this RFI and no applications or resumes will be accepted or considered. This office will not respond to any telephone or other inquiries regarding this notice. Your responses will not be made public. Thank you for your interest in this Request for Information. Eyole Luma Office of Acquisition and Assistance USAID/Afghanistan Request for Information (RFI): A.      Purpose USAID is exploring the design of a new agriculture development activity to tackle current and emerging challenges faced by women in Afghanistan who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. This Request for Information (RFI) is a preliminary call for information offered by interested organizations and individuals to provide information, opinions, and recommendations that present a logical, comprehensive, and measurable set of interventions to respond to the questions below. Interested parties should provide no more than a 7-page submission addressing the issues and questions discussed in Section D below. B.      Background Agriculture is the backbone of Afghanistan’s economy, with over 80 percent of Afghans dependent on the agriculture sector for their livelihoods. USAID’s program in the agriculture sector aims to improve food security and nutrition, increase domestic production, help families improve their financial standing, and give farmers, especially women, the knowledge, training, and tools they need to feed their families. Investments in food security to build resilience remain critical to ensure adequate nutritional intake, particularly for women and children, and the continued and efficient operation of agricultural value chains that can help rebuild the larger economy and reduce recurrent humanitarian and economic crises. USAID/Afghanistan’s new agricultural activity will work directly with women farmers, entrepreneurs, and other female stakeholders contributing to Afghanistan’s agriculture, livestock, livelihoods, and other economic sectors. The activity will work with women owned or managed agribusinesses that impact their respective value chains to sustainably strengthen agriculture and livestock value chains throughout Afghanistan, resulting in improved food security, increased incomes, employment, and productivity, among other key goals. Climate Change and the economic impacts of the Taliban’s abrupt ban on poppy cultivation have negatively impacted downstream processing and trade, leading to rising unemployment among farmers and women who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. The activity will integrate climate-related interventions across various areas to respond to climate change and water stress impacts. USAID plans to assist women-headed households with agricultural skills training to diversify their economic activities, increase their incomes, and place women in apprenticeships with anchor firms operating in agriculture value chains. If food security is improved, sustainable jobs are created, access to business capital is increased, and linkages are established for Afghan agricultural goods, the resiliency of Afghans, particularly women and marginalized groups, will be strengthened, enabling them to withstand further political, economic, and climate shocks. C.      Strategic Objectives The activity's objective is to enhance the resilience of Afghan women through investing in Afghanistan's agriculture sector, which constitutes over 80 percent of its economy. It will target and respond to the immediate needs of vulnerable households, especially women and farmers who transitioned away from poppy cultivation and are vulnerable to climate change's impacts. All activities undertaken will address and contribute to positive and measurable impacts on food security, value chains, and women's livelihoods. Results will be achieved by building on successes and lessons learned from current and previous USAID and other donor projects, focusing on emerging challenges after the Taliban takeover, and utilizing social or political opportunities to achieve objectives. D.      Questions: USAID/Afghanistan will continue to advance the resilience of Afghan women and would like to gather information on the following questions: What gaps should donors address to increase the resilience and stability of agricultural value chains and diversify and increase the productivity of licit agriculture? What are the most promising subsectors and approaches for high-impact results? What are the key challenges and opportunities to enhance the resilience of Afghanistan's agriculture sector to climate change-induced shocks, particularly those related to water stress, with a focus on the impact on the rural livelihoods of women and farmers who transitioned away from poppy cultivation? What key interventions could further improve and sustain women-owned businesses in the agriculture sector in Afghanistan? What is your organization's capacity/experience to address agriculture and food security issues in Afghanistan post-August 2021? How could your organization effectively engage with other donors working in this area to address gaps in the agriculture sector? What advantages and/or disadvantages would the selected implementing mechanism (acquisition vs. assistance) present for the proposed Activity? Specifically for implementation in Afghanistan, is one mechanism more advantageous/disadvantageous for implementation and if so, why? What other comments or recommendations do you have about the RFI? Please do not copy information from publicly available reports, but you are free to include citations or references. How to submit a response Responses to this RFI will be accepted on or before March 18, 2024 at 10:00 AM (Eastern Time). The response should be submitted to hramin@usaid.gov with eluma@usaid.gov in cc copy and include the following information: Reference Number: 72030624RFI00004 Date: Affiliation/ Organization: Business Address: Representative Name / Email: Up to 7-pages narrative that includes responses to the six questions in the RFI Please note USAID is not seeking technical or cost application s at this time. Do not submit any application in response to this RFI. Only responses to the information requested above will be considered. Issuance of this notice does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. Government, nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of a response. Although “application” and “applicant” are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as an application. (END OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION)