When policymakers think about agriculture in Afghanistan, they tend to think in terms of what is grown (opium, with Afghanistan being, by far the world’s largest supplier) and what should be grown (anything else).
In April, Anthony Cordesman and Adam Mausner from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released their analysis of Afghan agriculture, where it stands today and the impact that a “population-centric” strategy can have on Afghan development.
After having studied numerous reports from the Pentagon, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Food Programme and other agencies; Cordesman and Mausner wrote in their report, “Agriculture, Food, and Poverty in Afghanistan,” that the U.S. and ISAF have underestimated the importance of agriculture to the Afghan people. They contend that systemic corruption and violence have only exacerbated Afghanistan’s food insecurity – both in terms of developing a domestic agricultural sector and in effectively distributing food aid.
At a time when strategies for Afghanistan are being scrutinized in the U.S. and abroad, this report offers a detailed analysis of how food is (or is not) reaching Afghans, a crucial issue that policymakers need to consider as part of their development strategy.
CSIS also offers audio of a discussion with Anthony Cordesman that took place on the occasion of the release of the report.
Posted by Michael Lucivero.
Photo credit: DipNote from AP Photo.