LINKS: America.gov: Engaging the World , Food Not Bombs Website
On January 7, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Obama administration was working with the Afghan government and its agricultural framework to stabilize the country by providing its people with means to grow food for local consumption as well as export and with profitable alternatives to growing poppies. Another goal of this project is to remove some of the Taliban’s recruitment tools: People who are able to feed themselves, earn a living for their families, and who receive help attaining those goals from their government are less likely to be convinced to join the Taliban whose goals and ideology they do not share.
A Jan. 8 article on “America.gov” written by staff writer Stephen Kaufman, quotes Vilsack: “To develop a relationship of trust with the Afghan government and farmers, concrete results are needed, he said. For that reason, ‘were spending a lot of time trying to listen to precisely what the Afghans need of us.’
A good idea: listening to those we want to help. The previous administration spent time and money destroying the poppy crop. Obama is going after the traffickers instead.
In a time when our country is at war and violence grabs headlines around the world, reading about an effort to change the world climate by enabling farmers to grow crops to feed the hungry, to listen to their needs rather than imposing US goals, to work through Afghan leadership, and to build trust of between people, their government, and the USA is hopeful. 
This seems like a more productive way to promote peace than waging wars. I am reminded of a movement begun in the late 60’s early 70’s, “Food not Bombs.” It is still going strong, feeding people around the world, often with food that would otherwise be discarded. Both ideas seem obviously good ones and that makes one wonder why they should be news at all. Isn’t that how those that have should serve those that do not?
May the agricultural initiative between the US and Afghanistan sow seeds for similar programs around the world.
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