Many do not realize that poppies are a significant food source in some cultures. Perhaps in areas where the government has influence the poppy seeds could be “pasturized” (mildly heat treated) so they cannot sprout, but could be used as food. The farmers could then be supplied with low opium content seeds for replanting next spring.
Also if there is poppy seed that has little or no opium content, why not “crop dust” it over planted fields so that when the poppies grow there are so many useless (in opium) poppy plants that it will either be tremendous work to separate them out, or the quality of the poppy juice will be inferior enough to reduce the interest of the opium buyers.
I also read somewhere about drug companies putting something into poppies to produce other types of pharmaceuticals. Perhaps farmers could earn a premium over other cash crops by working with drug companies. They obviously know how to grow poppies, they need redirection.
lol... do you realize how hard it would be to live on poppy seeds? They are not and have never been a “ significant food source” in any culture. Poppy seeds are like a spice, prized for their texture and flavor, not their nutritional value.
“I also read somewhere about drug companies putting something into poppies to produce other types of pharmaceuticals. Perhaps farmers could earn a premium over other cash crops by working with drug companies. They obviously know how to grow poppies, they need redirection.”
So you think these drug companies are unable to produce these other pharmaceuticals because the only poppy growers in the world are making opium instead of growing the special poppies they need to make them? sheesh. Poppys are like weeds, anyone can grow them, it doesn't take any special skill.
Even if that were the case and all Afghani poppy growers could somehow find work supplying the needs of pharmaceutical manufacturers, (unlikely) you forget that there are still heroin addicts out there that will pay any price to get their next fix. Stopping heroin production in Afghanistan will not stop heroin production. It will simply shift it elsewhere.