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At its twentieth special session, devoted to the world drug problem, the General Assembly defined alternative development as:
A process to prevent and eliminate the illicit cultivation of plants containing narcotics and psychotropic substances through specifically designed rural development measures in the context of sustained national growth and sustainable development efforts in countries taking action against drugs, recognizing the particular socio-economic characteristics of the target communities and groups, within the framework of a comprehensive and permanent solution to the problem of illicit drugs.
Alternative development means giving farmers an economically viable, legal alternative to growing coca bush, opium poppy or cannabis plant. UNODC works to reduce the cultivation of illicit crops through a variety of development-oriented poverty reduction and rural development strategies, including agricultural-based initiatives, that lie at the heart of much of UNODC's operational activity at the national, regional, subregional and international levels. UNODC implements multisectoral rural development projects in Latin America, South-East Asia and the southern part of Central Asia. Furthermore, UNODC helps countries link their drug control approaches to development policies and strategies.
Currently, UNODC implements alternative development projects in six countries:
Afghanistan
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Colombia
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Myanmar
Peru