Originally Posted by J WolfsbergerMy advice would be:
1. What do these villagers produce? Of that, what do they consume locally, and what do they trade with other villages, towns or cities?
In 1 district, villagers produce only poppy. However they do not own the land. Land owners live in Kandahar City. In another district, villagers grow tobacco and wheat, tobacco to be sold in Pakistan. Wheat for consumption. Haven't really seen intra-village trade, but most goods go to KC or through Pakistan to Chaman.
2. What do they consume? How much of that is produced locally, and how much comes from other villages, towns or cities?
They consume what they grow. Insufficient data for other question. Which is really a point I'd like to highlight that it is the lack of data such as this which makes decisions hard.
3. How do they exchange value? How much of this local trade is based on currency, and what currency is it? How much local economic activity is based on barter?
Haven't seen anything based on barter yet, near KC, they use Afghani. Some contractors take dollars. Near the border, 50% they use rupees or whatever the currency Pakistan uses, and 50% afghani.
4. What do or could the locals produce that could go to a larger market? What do they need in the way of additional infrastructure to produce it?
In Arghandab, pomegranates. They need everything on the value chain for pomegranates in terms of infrastructure.
5. Are there any micro-loan programs in place to finance starting or increasing production of goods for local consumption or trade? Why not?
USAID has a program called WOCCU. CERP has $500 micro grants. We are not allowed to give micro grants at this point of time due to some people in the unit not liking that idea.
1) Take the time to discuss with NGOs and humanitarian actors. They are active in the area since sometimes, they know a lot of what is going on. Most of the time, they do not have formalized knowledge. NGOs and UN agencies do not have institutional memories, they have human memories. So linking with the people is important. One good entry point is sharing information with NGOs through OCHA coordination meetings. You give them data about what you have observed as humanitarian problems in some specific villages and then try to encourage NGO to intervene in the targeted villages. No need to promise anything to villagers. Wait NGO have act. Also your actions have to come as a complement of what NGO, UN and USAID are doing. USAID is implementing a program: they must have an economical profile of the area. USAID must have a development plan for the area. Even if it is silly (what I doubt) it is better to coordinate with them.
2) do not get involved into landownership problematic. This will sunk you into the local conflicts between families. (Can be extremely interesting to know who owns what and rent it at what price).
The main problem concerning poppy production being there are very few agricultural products competing with it. Also, land access is influencing households' production choices. You should look at poppy producers' landownership: what surface they own and what is the annual price of land. Also, compare with non poppy producers.
Second point being: can those lands produce something else than poppy? The choice of poppy is rational. It is driven either by no other production possibility, either by financial obligations. People do not produce poppy just for the pleasure to produce poppy.
The only problem being: once you found the problematic, then it will be difficult to solve it. But this may give you the economical roots of the poppy production. And allow you to identify the root problematic restricting your capacity to support agro project in district one.
According to your post, producers do not move but contractors are at least coming. So there are exportations/movements of goods. Even if there is no population movement, there are goods movements. Non locally produced products as candles, matches, cooking oil… are coming from somewhere.
In agricultural household economy, main source of incomes is coming from production export/trade. In your case, it is clear this is tobacco and may be fruits. The other main source of incomes is dayly agricultural work. Also, what needs to be identified is the percentage of the harvest which is used for auto consumption, what is sold (and to purchase what) and what is saved for seeds. I would recommend to make focus groups separated with men and women (men on one side, women on the other). The women will give you accurate data on what is consumed and sold. Men will give you accurate data on seeds and what is sold. You may have difference for what is sold between men and women. Take the highest. This will give you a raw idea of household economical/food security. But USAID and NGO or FAO should be able to help you on those particular questions.
Also, the village economy is cyclical, based on harvest and seasonal access. You should observe price and availability variations of goods on local market. By establishing a local agricultural calendar, you will be able to identify which period of time is difficult for the households. You should also try to establish a revenue annual calendar of households sources of revenues. You may be surprise to identify annual migration or unidentified activities as firewood cutting or handicrafts confection... There again, FAO, UNICEF or OCHA should be able to help you.
Hope this helps.
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