From Poppies to Red Gold: An Alternative Approach to Eradication

The Idea

Substituting saffron for poppies should be pursued as part of a U.S. strategy to reduce the Afghanistan drug trade, reduce funding for insurgents and the Taliban, and stabilize the region.

Key Facts

• Afghanistan produces 93% of the world's opiates.
• The opium trade provides Taliban and insurgent groups between $100 million and $400 million per year.
• The UN and NATO believe that insurgents get roughly 60% of their annual income from drugs.
• The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has said that the Taliban made about 50 million pounds from opium in 2007.
• Opium poppies and saffron yield $5,200 and up to $8,000 per hectare, respectively.
• 80% of personnel at the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior benefit from the drug trade and 100,000 members of the Afghan government benefit directly from drug trade, whether it be from transportation fees, bribes, or profits.