CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2015
| Author | Simmons, Alexander Richard |
|---|---|
| Title | Opium cultivation in Afghanistan: A policy proposal based on lessons from Turkey and China |
| Summary | Due to instability and a lack of rural alternative livelihoods, Afghanistan’s opium cultivation has skyrocketed over the past decade. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that Afghanistan supplies over 90% of the global illicit opium market. It is of the interest of Afghanistan and the international community that a solution is found to the nation’s economic opium dependency. By performing cross-case comparisons of Turkey’s legalization and China’s complete eradication policies, I propose a policy that better addresses the Afghan opium dilemma. Considering the nation’s lack of security and alternative rural livelihoods, I propose Afghanistan: a) Limit eradication to only wealthy landowners within their realm of control b) Expand the alternative livelihoods program to include higher yielding crops c) Invest in irrigations systems and agricultural markets that support higher yielding crops d) Develop a public awareness campaign that focuses on agricultural education e) Test a state monopoly in certain regions where the government can exert itself f) Reconsider legalization in the future g) Ensure international support Furthermore, I advise the Afghan central government to implement several of these policies concurrently and adapt them based on the security limitations in each region. |
| Supervisor | Mihályi, Peter |
| Department | Economics MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2015/simmons_alexander.pdf |
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