The United Nations General Assembly, in , adopted at its twentieth special session in 1998, defined “alternative development” as a process to prevent and eliminate the illicit cultivation of plants containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through specifically designed rural development measures. Such measures would be pursued in the context of sustained national growth and sustainable efforts in countries acting against drugs, recognizing the sociocultural characteristics of the target communities and groups.
The concept of alternative development has evolved considerably since its earliest application in the 1960s. Narrow crop substitution efforts changed into integrated rural development initiatives, which over time became more people-centred and have increasingly incorporated environmental concerns. Important guidance was defined in the (UNGP).
Last year, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and United Nations Member States celebrated the tenth anniversary of UNGP. This milestone provided a platform to share lessons learned over the past decade, and identified at least four crucial elements needed for success in alternative development initiatives:
1. Putting people at the centre of our response to drugs.
Across the world, there is an increased focus on human-centred and development-oriented drug policy interventions. This is encouraging progress that should boost the interest of Member States in alternative development as part of a balanced approach to addressing the world drug problem.
2. Sustainability cannot exist without inclusion and local ownership.
There is a broad consensus that it is fundamental to work more on the inclusion and meaningful participation of women, youth, indigenous and minorities groups. When it comes to local ownership, it is crucial to effectively place local people and communities at the heart of project design and implementation with long-term commitment.
3. A growing emphasis on value-added production chains and access to markets.
We need to ensure value-added production chains, fair prices for producers and access to markets for non-illicit crops through innovation and agribusiness. UNODC works with farmer groups, local community organizations and the private sector to identify high-yielding marketable crops, in harmony with the environment, to satisfy national and international markets.
4. Alternative development initiatives need to be conscious of the environment.
We only have one world and we need to protect it. There is increased awareness regarding climate change, biodiversity protection and sustainability in drug policy interventions.
The alternative development interventions by UNODC in 2023 amounted to $40 million, implemented mainly in Afghanistan, Bolivia, Colombia, Lao, Myanmar and Peru. Thanks to the increasing contributions of Colombia, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea and the European Union, in 2024, UNODC will continue to strengthen its technical assistance where necessary.
Over the past two decades, UNODC has supported hundreds of thousands of families in finding dignified incomes away from illicit crops. In 2023, such support reached 100,000 families. But if we are to push back meaningfully against the scale of illicit cultivation today, alternative development projects need to be scaled up massively. The level of funding available for this work is still too limited to support the estimated 800,000 families involved in illicit crops cultivation.
It is important to stress the significant achievements made in Thailand, a country with which UNODC has strengthened the exchange of expertise. United Nations data showed that 17,920 hectares of opium poppy were reported for the 1965–1966 period. According to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) survey data for the 2021–2022 period, the area in which illicit crops are cultivated decreased to 17 hectares.
In Colombia, projects have expanded and do not only focus on agricultural (coffee and cocoa) or fishing activities, but also cover many other types of livelihoods that generate income, such as those related to ecotourism, crafts, textiles and services related to environmental protection.
Alternative development has been a fundamental tool in peace-building efforts in Colombia, breaking the cycle of poverty, underdevelopment and violence. It has created a more stable environment by addressing the socio-economic factors that have affected the most vulnerable populations, such as rural and indigenous communities, in conflict-ridden regions. Today, alternative development activities continue to play a significant role in supporting the resolute national commitment to achieving lasting peace in Colombia.
UNODC has been assisting farming communities in Myanmar and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in the cultivation of coffee and other crops for over a decade. Beyond switching crops, these sustainable development efforts involve support for entrepreneurship, civil society engagement, environmental preservation and gender equality.
UNODC is part of the “One UN” response in Afghanistan and works closely with other United Nations agencies through the for 2023–2025 to develop a path forward to support the immense humanitarian needs of the country, while protecting the health, livelihoods and security of affected communities.
In this challenging context, UNODC continues to encourage Member States to implement balanced supply-side drug control policies with alternative and sustainable development interventions to ensure that local communities receive competitive incomes and access to profitable legal markets.
UNODC has also developed new partnerships in 2023 and 2024 with Brazil, Mexico and Nigeria, as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the latter having included alternative development in their drug control strategy, approved in November 2024.
While the context is evolving, it is important to note that today, interventions go well beyond simply replacing crops or income. They also attempt to address some of the root structural causes of local communities’ dependence on the illicit economy, such as deep-rooted patterns of poverty, underdevelopment and conflict.
Today we also face unprecedented challenges relating to conflict-hit communities, organized crime and synthetic drugs.
The UNODC approach generates the positive impacts, of social, economic and environmental progress in local communities. It makes it possible to limit the influx of narcotics at the source, as well as other illegal activities, in a constructive and peaceful manner. Such efforts support communities in organizing themselves into agricultural cooperatives and ensuring that all links in the farm-to-market cycle are owned by agricultural cooperatives, with all income returning to families and communities.
UNODC has connected farmers with international markets. In 2023, a partnership with French and Belgian coffee roasters facilitated the export of more than 300 tonnes of coffee to Europe from thousands of farming households in four countries.
UNODC also promotes investment in infrastructure such as irrigation canals, transportation facilities, processing centres and cold storage.
According to the latest resolutions adopted during the sixty-fifth, sixty-sixth and sixty-seventh sessions of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, alternative development has also strengthened its participation in non-traditional settings, with an emphasis on the protection of the environment in the context of climate change as well as the need to increase the inclusion of women and indigenous groups.
UNODC also focusses on Africa, the fastest-growing continent and home to the youngest population in the world. The means to access land, food and markets for this population must be ensured. Farmers there also need the skills and tools to diversify their income streams, making their communities more resilient to economic shocks and environmental changes.
Nigeria is the first country in Africa that has created an alternative development unit, and has started to assess the level of acceptability of future interventions on food security and cash crop diversification to prevent illicit cannabis production and drug-related crimes in Ondo State.
Finally, the ninth Expert Group Meeting on Alternative Development (Bangkok, Thailand, 28–30 November 2024), organized by Thailand in coordination with Germany, Peru and UNODC, focused on current alternative development issues in relation to environmental progress, territorial development, inclusivity and the need to update UNGP. These efforts took into account the latest scientific evidence and best practices, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and new contexts, for future consideration by Member States at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
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