Capabilities of wheat crop farmers in the selected war zones in Afghanistan

Abstract

Wheat is Afghanistan's principal food crop, and sustaining its production is critical to guaranteeing food security and self-sufficiency. Wheat crops contributed approximately 60% to 75% of total calorie consumption in the country. However, as a country that has been at war since 1978, it has been difficult for the wheat production enterprise to keep up with demand in order to feed the population. In order to be resilient in their operations and grow in the face of conflict and war, the players in this industry may have to withstand, survive and adapt to different situations and phenomena within the conflict and war conditions as compared to the normal wheat production context in the peaceful countries. Hence, the objective of this research is to look into the capabilities of the parties involved in wheat crop production in a prolonged war zone. This research was based on a qualitative case study. Interviews, observations, and documents were used to gather the necessary information, which was then analyzed using thematic analysis. This study revealed that ten out of fourteen capability constructs of resilience framework were applicable while four were not applicable in a war zone. This study also found some specific capabilities that wheat crop farmers possess and enable them to produce wheat crops in war conditions. This study provided new information regarding farmers’ capabilities in agriculture production in a war zone.