Urban agriculture in Kabul

1
Urban agriculture in Kabul
Catherine Laillet
2

• Programm GERES en afgha

3
GERES projets

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

• 30 GH
• Small farmers

• 2 years programs
• Income generation
• Training by Kabura

4
Aims of the study

• Getting a better understanding
  of urban agriculture in post-war situation and of
  the links between rural and urban areas
• gtincrease the quality of the programme
• Getting a better understanding of
• - the farming systems based on vegetables
  production
• - the technical constraints
• - the market chain
• gt In order to implement more GH

5
Context

• 23 years of conflicts
• Massive decrease of the agricultural production
• Large population increase within Kabul city
• Land pressure
• Water shortage
• Competition for water
• What are the main past and present evolution
  patterns of the agriculture within Kabul?

6
Methodology

• Zoning
• Individual surveys (history, farming systems,
  farmers constraints and strategies)
• Focus groups
• Interviews with key stakeholders

7
   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 belt Gardens, fruit trees and flowers inside the city
1978-1986 Djihad against russia Refuge city for the rural population No Close 2 M Arrival of rural pop  Wheat mainly Lack of land and water
1986-1992 Najibullah regime Modernization of the agricultural sector Yes Partly open 2,5 M  Increase the wheat yields gt increase of horti Decrease AH Water digging wheels Water table is affected
1992-1996 Kabul 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 Wheat drought Access to water and agro inputs
2001-2006  Competition between urban spaces and agricultural areas yes yes 3,4- 3,7M  Intensification Diversification of incomes Increase of the flowers market Water Price of land Competition from Pak. and other cities
8
(No Transcript)
9
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.)

10
(No Transcript)
11
The agriculture in kabul nowadays

• A city on drip?
• Massive importations from Pakistan and other
  neighbouring countries
• Open markets
• High population increase

12
Productions in UA?

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

13
The current situation

• Massive increase of the population (new eating
  habits (Pak, Iran))
• gtIncreasing difficulties to acces to land and
  water
• Intensification High demand for vegetables and
  flowers
• Diversification of incomes

14
What are the main factors of change?

• New roads building
• Disappearance of irrigation canals
• City borders extension
• New master plan for the agricultural sector

15
Potential evolution patterns?

• less water demanding crops
• ? Intensification and specialisation
• ? Livestock
• Better production organisation supplying,
  knowledge, planning , marketing
• Need of governmental guarantees land, inputs

16
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?

17
Evolution patterns of Kabul