Tropentag, September 19 - 21, 2012 in Göttingen "Resilience of agricultural systems against crises"

Approaches and Starting Points for Supporting Agricultural Development in the Conflictive Environment in Afghanistan

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany

Abstract

Agriculture and rural development are key sectors in the Afghan development process. Some 85% of the population in Afghanistan live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their living. Topographic and climatic conditions are limiting factors for agricultural activities and development opportunities in rural Afghanistan. Additionally, current initiatives for development and reconstruction are confronted with political instability and a conflictive environment that poses risks for the local population as well as national and international staff, and endangers the development process in general. The presentation provides insights into the status quo of Afghanistan's agriculture: How to support a gender-sensitive agricultural development in such an environment? What are challenges, potentials, successful methods and best practices?

Keywords: Conflicts, gender sensitive, risks, rural development

Contact Address: Thomas Hartmanshenn, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Eschborn, Germany, e-mail: Thomas.Hartmanshenngiz.de