Safiullah Jauhar’s scientific contributions

International trade, including the export of agricultural products, plays a significant role in a country's economy. However, exports can be exposed to several barriers and should be investigated to inform policy and decision-making. Thus, the study aimed to investigate Afghan traders' obstacles in exporting their agricultural products to foreign countries. Fifty-one Afghan international traders were identified through purposive and snowballing sampling techniques and asked through a pre-tested questionnaire. The results showed that all barriers were near to medium extent, except financial obstacles, with a score of more than medium extent. Financial barriers (3.28±0.71) were the most common, followed by logistic and transportation (2.87±0.92), market access and competition (2.85±0.72), individual (2.78±0.57), and organizational (2.76±0.67) barriers. These barriers were consistent across all traders based on their socio-demographics (P≥0.05). The study suggests that Afghan traders face various obstacles to exporting agricultural products, requiring prompt and relevant actions from governmental organizations, policymakers, donor agencies, and other relevant bodies.

The agri-food sector is pressured to produce more livestock products with fewer resources due to global drivers like rapid population growth and challenging climate changes. Food insecurity can lead to hunger, malnutrition, and famine over time. Recently, half of Afghanistan’s population has been food insecure due to COVID-19 and climate change, as highlighted by current food price shocks. One of the factors contributing to food insecurity is the decline of livestock production for many reasons. Meanwhile, by 2050, we will need to produce 50-70% more food to feed an additional 2 billion people, and the demand for animal-source foods (ASFs) will double. Ruminant livestock are crucial for food security by converting non-edible products into nutritious food. Still, they pose a challenge to sustainability due to resource-intensive practices and greenhouse gas emissions. In Afghanistan, empowering livestock farmers to build capacity for sustainable food security and implementing region-specific strategies for sustainable livestock production and consumption is crucial. However, creating and developing an efficient whole value chain system can help maximize dairy production and improve nutritional security in Afghanistan. Nonetheless, a single player cannot achieve livestock-based food security in Afghanistan. All stakeholders need to collaborate and recognize the significance of livestock in ensuring food security. This paper reviewed the role of livestock resources and the required percentage of ASF in human diets for sustainable nutritional security and resulting productive livelihoods in Afghanistan.

Implementing the Sustainable Green Revolution Strategy in Afghanistan is thoroughly examined in this paper, with a focus on how it might boost food security and promote economic growth. The fact that agriculture employs 61.6% of the workforce and accounts for roughly 23% of the country's GDP highlights the importance of this sector to Afghanistan's economy. To ensure greater output while protecting biodiversity, the study presents the idea of "Green Revolution 2.0," which aims to modify past agricultural advances to Afghanistan's particular socioeconomic and environmental challenges. Important prospects for agricultural development are noted, such as various climates, foreign assistance, and the involvement of young people. The paper also discusses urgent issues like poor infrastructure, budgetary limitations, and how climate change affects agricultural productivity. A successful implementation approach is suggested, emphasizing education, climate-smart agriculture, credit availability, and infrastructure development. A Gantt chart, which involves stakeholders including the Afghan government, non-governmental organizations, and foreign organizations, provides an organized schedule for the actions required to carry out the strategy successfully. The results highlight the significance of strengthening community involvement, encouraging sustainable farming methods, and creating a supporting governance structure. In the end, this paper promotes a multifaceted strategy for agricultural development that seeks to enhance rural Afghanistan's general quality of life in addition to productivity, opening the door for long-term resilience and economic stability.