Following the release of this Technical Dossier, the next step is to implement scientific Pilot Projects in different villages in Afghanistan to further test the conditions and specifics of the Poppy for Medicine project. The Senlis Council urges the Afghan government and the international community to implement these scientific Pilot Projects at the next planting season, commencing autumn 2007. This would allow for an evaluation period from October to May to investigate, in carefully selected villages, the essential agricultural, pharmaceutical, economic and control elements of a Poppy for Medicine project.

Control Framework

The scientific Pilot Projects would test the comprehensive Integrated Social Control system described in the Control System section. The existing strong social control systems in Afghan villages should be incorporated in the Pilot Project phase to examine the extent to which village-based controls are able to safeguard against diversion of raw materials and other illegal activities surrounding the Poppy for Medicine project.

Legal Framework

Poppy for Medicine projects, and the establishment of scientific Pilot Projects are compatible with the Afghan Constitution, with Afghan domestic law and with the international law related to drug control. The 2005 Afghan Counter Narcotics Law contains extensive provisions for the distribution of licences to poppy farmers and offers a strong basis for scientific Pilot Projects.54 Under the provisions of the treaties governing the production of medicines from opium, no formal approval is required from the International Narcotics Control Board. In accordance with international law, without requiring any authorisation from or notification to an international body, Afghanistan can immediately start cultivating poppy under a strict licensing system for its own domestic use for the domestic manufacture of morphine.55 This is the case regardless of whether the morphine is produced for domestic use or for export.

Timeline of the Pilot Poppy for Medicine project

The total running time of the Pilot Projects would be 8-9 months, or one growing season, from October 2007 until May 2008. The exact running time would depend on the planting and harvest seasons in the different provinces within which the Pilot Projects would be implemented. For example, in Nangarhar province (eastern Afghanistan), the poppy planting season starts in October and last until April, May.

One month before the start of the growing season, the pilot project site should be fully operational and secured by the local community with help from the ANP. This means that the organization of the Pilot Projects should start in August 2007.

Pre-planning	Planning	Implementation	Evaluation
August 2007	September 2007	Oct./Nov. 2007	May/June 2008

Implementation of the Pilot Poppy for Medicine Projects

A Pilot Poppy for Medicine Project would comprise a planning phase, five documentation phases and an evaluation phase.

1. Planning phase

Meet the stakeholders and community leaders at the level of the local institutions and discuss the basic outline of the Pilot Project.

2. Documentation phase I: Implementation

Document the proceedings at the informal local decision-making shura which is setting up the small Pilot Cooperative. At this stage, the members of the cooperative are selected (farmers), and the sub-contracted land-labourers, local guards, carriers, lab staff and other staff that is needed. The lands are selected and the best arrangements for agricultural inputs (seeds, fertiliser, etc.) are agreed upon; While a preliminary budget and inventory lists should be drawn up before the implementation phase, the initial work of the shura and the discussions with the Pilot Cooperative members would reveal whether these are realistic in terms of costs and necessary inputs.

3. Documentation phase II: Cultivation

Documentation during the growing season: During the months prior to the harvest, the implementation and running phase of the Pilot Project should be documented carefully to allow for a thorough evaluation of the different pilots in different areas.

4. Documentation phase III: Harvesting

Documentation during the growing season: During the months prior to the harvest, the implementation and running phase of the Pilot Project should be documented carefully to allow for a thorough evaluation of the different pilots in different areas.

5. Documentation phase IV: Medicine production

Documentation of how the raw poppy materials would be converted in the small laboratories of the Pilot Project sites, and how they would be packaged.

6. Documentation phase V: Sales and delivery

Documentation of how the medicines would be transported to Kabul for domestic distribution, and how they would be exported and sold to international markets.

7. Evaluation phase

Evaluation of the whole Pilot Project, from planning, to the delivery of the medicines.

Number of Pilot Projects

For a proper evaluation and comparison of different Pilot Projects, a minimum number of three Pilot Projects is suggested. This would allow for the testing of different climatic and agricultural conditions, and different local decision-making and control processes.

Location of the Pilot Projects

The location of the scientific Pilot Projects should be carefully selected. If three areas can be selected, these could be located in the northern, eastern and southern part of the country. If more than three Pilot Projects test farms are possible, it might be possible to have a cluster of a number of test farms in each area.

The Pilot Project in the southern part of the country should not be situated in a fighting zone, or anywhere fighting has taken place over the past six months. Instead, the selected location should be an area under the control of local district officials, rather than the Taliban or insurgents. Other selection criteria are:

1. The villages that are selected should have strong local cohesion;
2. They should be located in the main opium growing areas;
3. They should have at least some experience with cultivating poppy;
4. The Pilot Project village should be close enough to a city to allow regular inspections by national and international supervisors and security forces.

Number of people involved in the Pilot Project

There would be 5 farms in each Pilot Projects. The area of the Pilot Project would be approximately two hectares. For each farm, the family of the farmer would cultivate the poppies, if necessary assisted by sub-contracted land labourers. To harvest the poppies, a total of six harvesters are needed per farm amounting to a total of 30 for the whole Pilot Projects. During harvesting and processing, there would be twelve security guards for the laboratory and 10 security guards for the whole Project (two per farm). In the laboratory, an estimated number of ten laboratory staff would be working. Two drivers are assigned to transport the opium from the fields to the lab on a daily basis during harvest times. Four guards from the lab would accompany them. For final transportation to Kabul, a selection of guards and drivers already employed by the Pilot Projects would be allocated. Total employment during cultivation would amount to between 50-60 people. During harvest time, the total employment would increase up to 100-110 people.