LIP is a project for the Plan International sponsored communities in District Mansehra. LIP aims at improving the livelihoods systems in order to contribute to sustainable natural resource use by the communities. It basically focuses on improving the produce obtained from agriculture, horticulture, forest and non-timber forest products (NTFPs). This will in turn enable communities to realize the interdependence between environmental/ natural resource issues and livelihoods and their long term consequence. The main programme elements include:

• Fruit & Vegetable Development (fruit nursery development and promotion, model fruit orchard extension demonstrations, promotion of technology adoptive processes, farmer-led research, Integrated Crop Management through ToT / FFS).
• Environment, forest and range conservation and improvement for domestic use.
• Promotion of market oriented enterprises and products from NRM and NTFPs and enabling linkages with market.
• Capacity Building of the farmers’ and building linkages with inputs and service providers.
• Focus on horticultural development activities with emphasis on cross-sectoral priorities, especially gender and development, human and institutional development and poverty reduction.
• Working with interest groups of resource poor farmers including women.
• Mainstream gender aspects in the project through capacity building of communities, staff and including women in horticulture related activities (nurseries, vegetable gardens, homestead plantation).
• Develop human resource and disseminate improved production technologies to ensure increased productivity and income.
• Introduce ventures for small farmers and women to address poverty through horticulture, forest and NTFPs (vegetables, seed production, kitchen gardening, fruit/forest tree nursery raising, medicinal herbs and apiculture).

The project will focus on sustainability aspects of project interventions from the inception and emphasis on small farmers, women and landless people and on strong linkages with line agencies and other organizations for better service delivery to the poor.