Responding to Afghanistan's Opium Economy Challenge : Lessons and Policy Implications from a Development Perspective

Responding to Afghanistan's Opium Economy Challenge : Lessons and Policy Implications from a Development Perspective

Opium, Afghanistan's leading economic activity, lies at the heart of the challenges the country faces in state building, governance, security, and development. With their narrow law enforcement focus and limited recognition of development, se...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Byrd, William A.
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:	ACCESS TO ASSETS ACCESS TO MARKETS ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES ADVERSE IMPACT ADVERSE IMPACTS AGGREGATE DEMAND AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AGRICULTURAL LAND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AGRICULTURAL TECHNIQUES ALMONDS ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS ASSET SALES CAPACITY BUILDING CAPITAL FLIGHT CARTEL CASH-FOR-WORK CEREALS CHILD MORTALITY CHILD MORTALITY RATES COMMODITY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE COPING MECHANISMS CROP CROP SUBSTITUTION CROPPING CROPPING PATTERNS CROPS DEBT DEPENDENCE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY DRUG CONTROL DRUG INDUSTRY DRUG USE DRUG USERS EXCHANGE RATES EXPORTS FARM FARM HOUSEHOLDS FARM INCOME FARM-GATE FARMERS FERTILIZER FOODGRAINS GRAIN GROWING SEASON HARVESTING HARVESTS HEROIN HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS ILLICIT DRUGS ILLICIT OPIATES INVENTORIES IRRIGATION LABOR MARKETS LIQUIDITY LIVELIHOODS ACTIVITIES LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS MORPHINE MULTIPLIER EFFECTS NARCOTICS OPIATE OPIUM OPIUM CULTIVATION OPIUM ECONOMY OPIUM POPPY OPIUM PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITY COST PHARMACEUTICALS PLANTING POORER AREAS POPPY CULTIVATION POPPY ERADICATION POPULATION GROWTH POVERTY IMPACT POVERTY REDUCTION PRICE FLUCTUATIONS PRODUCTION INCENTIVES PRODUCTION OF WHEAT REMOTE AREAS RISK PREMIUM RURAL DEVELOPMENT RURAL FINANCE RURAL HOUSEHOLDS RURAL LIVELIHOODS RURAL POPULATION RURAL POPULATIONS RURAL PROJECTS RURAL WAGES SEEDS SHARECROPPERS SIDE EFFECTS SOIL QUALITY SPRING STRAW WATER AVAILABILITY WATER USE WATERLOGGED SOILS WEALTH WHEAT FLOUR YIELDS
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/03/9051338/responding-afghanistans-opium-economy-challenge-lessons-policy-implications-development-perspective http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6563

Description
Summary:	Opium, Afghanistan's leading economic activity, lies at the heart of the challenges the country faces in state building, governance, security, and development. With their narrow law enforcement focus and limited recognition of development, security, and political implications, current global counter-narcotics polices impose a heavy burden on Afghanistan. This paper first provides a summary overview of Afghanistan's opium economy and the factors determining rural households' decisions on cultivating opium poppy. It then discusses the dynamic evolution of the Afghan drug industry in recent years, in particular its consolidation around fewer, powerful, politically-connected actors and the associated compromising of parts of some government agencies by drug industry interests. The paper reviews the experience with different counter-narcotics interventions, analyzes some proposals not yet tried in Afghanistan, and draws lessons and policy implications. Unfortunately there are no "silver bullets"-easy, quick, or one-dimensional solutions, and a longer-term horizon along with sustained commitment and resources will be required in order to phase out the opium economy over time. The paper concludes by putting forward some broad principles and approaches of a "smart strategy" against drugs in Afghanistan.

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