New study underlines forgotten realities in agriculture

A new study on Afghanistan’s agriculture policy and rural livelihoods has called on aid agencies and the government to more critically analyse how relevant programmes work in developing the beleagured nation's agriculture and rural livelihoods. According to the report issued on Monday, while Afghanistan was in its third post conflict year, there were many challenges yet to be met in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of public and civil institutions in the war-torn country. Looking ahead, the strength and resilience of livelihood and agriculture systems remained a critical issue for the Central Asian nation. It is therefore important to examine the factors influencing Afghan livelihoods in order to ensure that current national and international efforts contribute positively to the protection, development and preservation of livelihoods in Afghanistan. The Afghan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU)-initiated report was a reminder - particularly for implementing agencies, donors and the Afghan government - that the vision for and approach to rural Afghanistan must be grounded in the realities of Afghan livelihoods. “The research has found out that in order to do more effective programming, there needs to be a more closer link between what the farmers are doing and how we are trying to help them,” Dr Ian Christoplos, a rural development expert at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences told IRIN in Kabul, following the launch of his three-month research. With interviews with various stakeholders in Kabul and rural areas, his findings argue that most of the agencies involved in agricultural and livelihood activities, have been listening more to donors than to the demand of the farmers on the ground. “Obliviously farmers' demands have been ignored to a large extent and the agencies have not been very good at listening,” he said. Agricultural rehabilitation and development efforts in Afghanistan were supply-driven, and poorly anchored in an understanding of what rural people themselves were striving to achieve, the report maintained. “The prevailing expenditure pattern in recent years has meant that rehabilitation activities, in particular seed distributions, have dominated agricultural programming, and short-term funding cycles continue to deter the establishment of developmental programming that is more relevant to livelihood opportunities,” the report said. Meanwhile, farmers IRIN talked to concurred, noting in addition to the assistance from state or international agencies, they needed more training on how to use new machinery and techniques, as well as understanding market demands. “We have been given seeds and seldom some machinery, but no training on how we could properly use the technology or how we can find a market for our crops,” Hajji Abdulhaq, a farmer in Paghman district of Kabul told IRIN. Abdulhaq who owns only two jeribs [10 hectars] of arable land said agriculture was losing its value as a means of sustainable livelihood in remote rural areas with the falling prices of wheat and other crops in the market. “I think the business of agriculture is leaning towards failure, if there is no immediate assistance on finding markets for our products,” he maintained. To achieve effective results in agriculture, as well as sustainable livelihoods, the research recommends and calls for better and more coordination and reforms. “There needs to be capacity building in the government and NGOs staff - particularly at the rural levels,” Christoplos said.