Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future
Societal Impact Statement The production and availability of food underpins societal stability. In Afghanistan, wheat is the major arable agricultural crop and source of dietary energy. The withdrawal of NATO allies and partner countries from Afghanistan presents numerous well‐documented societal an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Plants, People, Planet |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10277 |
| _version_ | 1811285434877083648 |
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| author | Nigel Poole Rajiv Sharma Orzala A. Nemat Richard Trenchard Andrew Scanlon Charles Davy Najibeh Ataei Jason Donovan Alison R. Bentley |
| author_facet | Nigel Poole Rajiv Sharma Orzala A. Nemat Richard Trenchard Andrew Scanlon Charles Davy Najibeh Ataei Jason Donovan Alison R. Bentley |
| author_sort | Nigel Poole |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Societal Impact Statement The production and availability of food underpins societal stability. In Afghanistan, wheat is the major arable agricultural crop and source of dietary energy. The withdrawal of NATO allies and partner countries from Afghanistan presents numerous well‐documented societal and political challenges and has impacts on immediate and longer‐term food security. Conflict‐impacted irrigation infrastructure coupled with growing climate instability have also contributed markedly to reductions in current food, and specifically wheat, production. Here, we review the status of Afghan wheat improvement and propose a research agenda to support the regeneration of Afghanistan's wheat and agricultural sector. Summary Afghanistan is a country with diverse natural ecologies in a largely arid and mountainous region. The rural sector is still considered to drive economic potential. Current social, political and economic instability along with climatic challenges are driving food and water insecurity in the wider region. In the short term, it is likely that this and the associated challenges of displacement and unemployment can only be addressed by humanitarian intervention and agrifood and nutrition support. In the medium to long term, drought, and heat, probably linked to climate change, will pose recurrent challenges for agriculture and food security that will require a much broader set of interventions to secure the rural population's livelihoods. The genetic gap, among other major challenges, must be addressed if Afghanistan is to develop its agricultural potential leading to income and livelihood improvements for farmers and stable and accessible supplies for consumers. Only thereby will the country be enabled to reap the important and long‐sought trade and food security benefits derived from self‐sufficiency. Here, we highlight the agricultural challenges facing Afghanistan and propose forward strategies for ensuring the future stability of wheat production, the cornerstone of Afghan agriculture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:45:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7e1bae3030004dbe9227b6f43a916a6d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2572-2611 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T02:45:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants, People, Planet |
| spelling | doaj.art-7e1bae3030004dbe9227b6f43a916a6d2022-12-22T03:06:05ZengWileyPlants, People, Planet2572-26112022-09-014542343110.1002/ppp3.10277Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's futureNigel Poole0Rajiv Sharma1Orzala A. Nemat2Richard Trenchard3Andrew Scanlon4Charles Davy5Najibeh Ataei6Jason Donovan7Alison R. Bentley8SOAS University of London London UKInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Kabul AfghanistanAfghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) Kabul AfghanistanFood and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Kabul AfghanistanThe HALO Trust Dumfries UKAfghanaid Kabul AfghanistanAgricultural Research Institute of Afghanistan (ARIA) Kabul AfghanistanInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) El Batán MexicoInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) El Batán MexicoSocietal Impact Statement The production and availability of food underpins societal stability. In Afghanistan, wheat is the major arable agricultural crop and source of dietary energy. The withdrawal of NATO allies and partner countries from Afghanistan presents numerous well‐documented societal and political challenges and has impacts on immediate and longer‐term food security. Conflict‐impacted irrigation infrastructure coupled with growing climate instability have also contributed markedly to reductions in current food, and specifically wheat, production. Here, we review the status of Afghan wheat improvement and propose a research agenda to support the regeneration of Afghanistan's wheat and agricultural sector. Summary Afghanistan is a country with diverse natural ecologies in a largely arid and mountainous region. The rural sector is still considered to drive economic potential. Current social, political and economic instability along with climatic challenges are driving food and water insecurity in the wider region. In the short term, it is likely that this and the associated challenges of displacement and unemployment can only be addressed by humanitarian intervention and agrifood and nutrition support. In the medium to long term, drought, and heat, probably linked to climate change, will pose recurrent challenges for agriculture and food security that will require a much broader set of interventions to secure the rural population's livelihoods. The genetic gap, among other major challenges, must be addressed if Afghanistan is to develop its agricultural potential leading to income and livelihood improvements for farmers and stable and accessible supplies for consumers. Only thereby will the country be enabled to reap the important and long‐sought trade and food security benefits derived from self‐sufficiency. Here, we highlight the agricultural challenges facing Afghanistan and propose forward strategies for ensuring the future stability of wheat production, the cornerstone of Afghan agriculture.https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10277food securityhumanitarian interventionirrigationnutritionplant breedingseed systems |
| spellingShingle | Nigel Poole Rajiv Sharma Orzala A. Nemat Richard Trenchard Andrew Scanlon Charles Davy Najibeh Ataei Jason Donovan Alison R. Bentley Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future Plants, People, Planet food security humanitarian intervention irrigation nutrition plant breeding seed systems |
| title | Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future |
| title_full | Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future |
| title_fullStr | Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future |
| title_short | Sowing the wheat seeds of Afghanistan's future |
| title_sort | sowing the wheat seeds of afghanistan s future |
| topic | food security humanitarian intervention irrigation nutrition plant breeding seed systems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10277 |
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