The United Nations General Assembly, in resolution S-20/4, 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 2013 United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGP) on Alternative Development.
In 2013, 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:
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.
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.
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.
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 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 2025, a partnership with French and Belgian coffee roasters is facilitating the export of more than 400 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-seventh and sixty-eighth 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 focuses 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.
