Afghans swap poppies for wheat as food costs soar
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/13/afghanistanbut wait a second, is this right? because...
Afghan poppy farmers expect record opium crop and the Taliban will reap the rewards
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghan-poppy-farmers-expect-record-opium-crop-and-the-taliban-will-reap-the-rewards-477687.htmlbut alas, that story is two years old and well, things change...
Afghanistan Poppy Farmers: We May Have No Choice but to Join Taliban
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/162906/afghanistan_poppy_farmers_we_may_have.htmlOr could it be...
AFGHANISTAN: Farmers Fight Ban on Poppy Growing
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=33004Or perhaps...
Freak weather destroys Afghan poppies
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/freak-weather-destroys-afghan-poppies-814072.htmlbut when in trouble, one has to adapt...
Afghan Farmers Turn to Cannabis as Cash Crop
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19336834 Don't get me wrong, I'm totally against the spread of heroin, but I really don't care for this propaganda news story's the report that "things are changing" for the better bullshit.
the nation is still very very very poor, it's still totally fucked up and these poor people that grow poppy are doing it because they have mouths to feed.
Way back in 2002 moron* and his room full of dopes tried to convince the locals to grow wheat instead of poppy. However, if a farmer sees that a bushel of wheat only brings in 50 bucks and a bushel of poppy brings in 500 bucks, which will he choose? It doesn't take a genius.
so now that the world is on the starving end of the stick, wheat now is at a premium. The farmers are now changing over to grains according to this article?
I bet you when comparing the price per ounce, poppy is still the better bet and brings in more money to feed starving kids.