Urban agriculture in Kabul

Catherine Laillet

• Programm GERES en afgha

GERES projets• 1O GH in Jangalak (D7)• Vulnerable people

• 30 GH• Small farmers

• 2 years programs• Income generation • Training by Kabura

Aims of the study

• Getting a better understanding of urban agriculture in post-war situation and of the links between rural and urban areas

=>increase the quality of the programme

Getting a better understanding of

- the farming systems based on vegetables production- the technical constraints - the market chain

=> In order to implement more GH

Context• 23 years of conflicts

Massive decrease of the agricultural production

• Large population increase within Kabul cityLand pressure

• Water shortage: Competition for water

What are the main past and present evolution patterns of the agriculture within Kabul?

Methodology

• Zoning • Individual surveys (history, farming

systems, farmer’s constraints and strategies)

• Focus groups • Interviews with key stakeholders

   Key words Agri. policies

Int. markets

inhabitant  Farming system

Main constraints

Before the war

Garden, parks, open city, markets and good roads

Yes Open 750 000  Green beltGardens, fruit trees and flowers inside the city

1978-1986Djihad against russia

Refuge city for the rural population

No Close 2 MArrival of rural pop

 Wheat mainly Lack of land and water

1986-1992Najibullah regime

Modernization of the agricultural sector

Yes Partly open

2,5 M  Increase the wheat yields => increase of hortiDecrease AH

Water = digging wheelsWater table is affected

1992-1996Kabul a Ghost city

War, Kabul is destroyer

No no 800 000  Reduction of farming activities

Working in the field (bombs) Access to water (mines, destruction of canals)

1996-2001: Taliban regime

Embargo, Kabul is empty

No Closed /embargo

500 000  Few vegetables Wheatdrought

Access to water and agro inputs

2001-2006  Competition between urban spaces and agricultural areas

yes yes 3,4- 3,7M  Intensification Diversification of incomesIncrease of the flowers market

Water Price of landCompetition from Pak. and other cities

Before the war NajibullahDjihad Reconstruction TalibanPhantom city

2 types of zones

• Zone 1: Traditional subsistence peri urban agriculture

• Zone 2: Urban irrigated mixed agriculture (market oriented, concurrence for the access to the main resources between urban uses and agricultural purposes.)

The agriculture in kabul nowadays

Pays

Logar

ShamaliJalalabad

Mazar-e-Sharif

PAKISTAN

A city on drip?

•Massive importations from Pakistan and other neighbouring countries

•Open markets

•High population increase

Productions in UA?What is produced?• Home consumption crops • Marketing gardening crops • Ornamental crops• Livestock How is it sold?• Wholesalers • Directly • The flower market

The current situation

Massive increase of the population (new eating habits (Pak, Iran))

=>Increasing difficulties to acces to land and water

• Intensification High demand for vegetables and flowers

• Diversification of incomes

What are the main factors of change?

– New roads building– Disappearance of irrigation canals– City border’s extension– New master plan for the agricultural sector

Potential evolution patterns?

• less water demanding crops Intensification and specialisation Livestock• Better production organisation: supplying,

knowledge, planning , marketing• Need of governmental guarantees: land,

inputs

Does it make sense to keep agriculture in kabul

city?• Will Kabul urban agriculture resist to

competition?• Is it important to take into account the positive

effect of UA in the city?• Are the green houses a solution?

Evolution patterns of Kabul