National and international media are invited to participate in ‘The Second Afghan Saffron Conference’ in Herat. The conference is organized by DACAAR and ICARDA with generous funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA). Furthermore, this event has the special support of the Afghanistan Ministry for Agriculture, Irrigation & Livestock and Herat University.

The first Afghan Saffron Conference was held last year, and helped create awareness of the potential of this crop for improving rural income and livelihoods, and as a potential substitute for poppy. However, the saffron industry in Afghanistan is still very young, and requires major developmental support.

The aim of this conference is to publicise both the potential and current needs of the sector. Participants will include government officials, academics, representatives from NGOs and international organisations, and saffron farmers themselves. The programme includes panel presentations, discussions, and a visit to saffron fields near Herat.

Media representatives are kindly requested to confirm their attendance with DACAAR Public Information Unit by email or telephone