Afghanistan: The Reverberating Effects of Explosive Violence on Agriculture in Afghanistan

Nov 13, 2019 | Jake Hussona, Action on Armed Violence
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Agriculture in Afghanistan is big business. Today, it accounts for 25% of Afghanistan’s GDP, and is the second largest sector of the economy after services. Even in our current world of urbanisation, the majority of the population still live in rural areas, and agricultural labour is critical for livelihoods. Across the country, agricultural work employs some 40% of the total labour force and more than half of the rural workforce. However, despite its seeming importance, present day agriculture in Afghanistan is a shell of its former self. Its production stands at half that of its pre-1979 level. Four decades of war have severely hampered what is considered to be ‘the backbone’ of Afghanistan’s economy.