Green light for red roses

In order to combat the opium trade in the long term – 80 percent of the world's heroin supply comes from Afghanistan – it is essential to offer the people an alternative means of securing a livelihood. In October 2004, on the initiative of German Agro Action, a project for producing rose oil was therefore started in which 400 farmers are now growing Damask roses on 60 hectares of land. With the production of rose oil an ancient Afghan tradition was brought back to life and the first harvests were convincing as regards both quantity and quality.

WALA first expressed an interest in the Afghan rose oil in the summer of 2006 and has since been supporting the project with expertise and know how.