KABUL, Afghanistan — Opium production has risen dramatically in Afghanistan, increasing 36 percent in 2013 and as much as 17 percent in 2014. This increase in production comes despite a stagnation of international demand. Regulations toward the illicit industry have been more lax in recent years due to the reliance of politicians on drug money for funding campaigns.
Afghanistan produces roughly 80 percent of the world’s opium, most of which is processed into heroine. It constitutes about $8 billion a year of foreign and domestic revenue for the country. With the recent drop in global demand, Afghans are increasingly becoming consumers of the drug, with an estimated 1.5 million addicts in a country of just 30 million people.
The Afghan Taliban, once known for eradicating poppy cultivation completely in the country, now oversees production in certain provinces and levies an opium tax on farmers. In provinces like Kandahar and Helmand, government actions against poppy farmers have led to increased support for the Taliban, whose policies toward the crop are considerably more lenient.
President Ashraf Ghani has acknowledged the implications of drug trafficking, stating that it suffocates opportunities for the emergence of new markets and normal economic development.
Projects to develop Afghanistan’s agricultural capacity are being undertaken with the help of foreign aid (including a cumulative $7.6 billion from the U.S.). These projects, while vital to achieving economic growth, run the risk of being manipulated to benefit the opium industry.
The U.S. and NATO, in cooperation with Afghan security forces, have led international efforts to curb the mass cultivation of poppies for opium production. These efforts have been largely unsuccessful and counterproductive. This is partly because the short-sighted campaigns aim to destroy poppy farms without providing farmers with viable alternatives. This strategy can have devastating economic implications for poor farmers who are reliant on the opium market for their livelihood. In cases where subsidies for alternative crops have been provided, farmers are often unwilling to leave behind high-income generating opium in favor of much cheaper crops like wheat.
The role of opium production in curbing poverty for many Afghan families demands a more sensitive approach from the government. Drug eradication programs must aid, rather than hinder, poverty eradication.
– Janie Ryan
Sources: NY Times 1, NY Times 2, ABC News
Photo: Flickr