Supporting the Peruvian Government to Promote Alternatives to Coca .

In Peru, communities who rely on coca cultivation for their livelihoods are often wrought with insecurity and poverty. Data shows that coca cultivation only exacerbates these conditions. In recent years, to limit drug trafficking, Peruvian anti-drug institutions have eradicated coca cultivation fields, while other Peruvian institutions have provided alternative livelihoods to alleviate poverty and take people out of illicit coca cultivation. As a result, local communities have turned to the Peruvian government to provide sustainable alternatives to their coca crops. Supporting both the government and affected communities, the USAID Institutional Strengthening Partnership for DEVIDA strengthens Peruvian institutions, primarily the Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo y la Vida Sin Drogas (DEVIDA), and national and sub-national governments, to achieve common goals. Stronger institutions will sustain reductions in coca cultivation and narcotics trafficking by providing farmers with sustainable crop alternatives, such as cocoa, coffee, and other off-farm employment opportunities. By improving public investment and increasing household incomes, the project strives to support Peruvian government actors to enhance their technical and institutional capabilities to promote conditions for licit sustainable development.