Back Poppy for Medicine initiative


From Mr Paul Burton.

Sir, Paddy Ashdown laudably addresses the critical situation in Afghanistan, outlining a potentially effective plan of action for the war-torn country (February 13). To this commendable list one can add an element at the nexus of security and development efforts in Afghanistan – the country’s escalating opium crisis.

The current counter-narcotics policy of forced poppy crop eradication is not only ineffective but hugely counter-productive. Instead of being a positive force, it has added to the cycle of poverty and violence that has gripped the southern part of Afghanistan. Destroying the primary source of income for more than 3m Afghans only drives them into the arms of the Taliban, further endangering the lives of coalition troops.

Unlike current eradication efforts, The Senlis Council’s Poppy for Medicine initiative does not jeopardise the livelihoods of the Afghan people. Instead, it aims to support a legitimate agricultural industry in Afghanistan, while simultaneously addressing the worldwide shortage of pain relief. By generating economic profits and securing livelihoods, such a scheme could help farmers diversify their economic activities and sever ties with the insurgency.

The council’s proposal was widely endorsed by the European parliament last October, and the initiative could be implemented as early as June. Furthermore, a series of polls commissioned by Senlis last year in the UK, US, Canada and the Netherlands revealed that their respective publics were strongly supportive of the initiative – an average of eight in 10 of those polled backed Poppy for Medicine. A continuation of eradication efforts would be tantamount to surrendering defeat to the Taliban.



Paul Burton
Director of Policy Analysis,
The Senlis Council,
London WC1B 4HP, UK