The president of France, the prime ministers of the UK, Italy and Australia and the US defence secretary all visited Kabul to meet President Hamid Karzai last month. Deteriorating security was the paramount issue. The increase in troops and equipment that these leaders pledged, though, will not suffice to stop the Taliban’s resurgence. Afghanistan urgently needs an effective strategy for economic reconstruction.

Lack of productive alternatives has driven farmers to turn to growing poppies. Drug-traffickers support farmers by advancing credit and sharing some of the risks of production. Some farmers can survive only by selling their crops in advance. If the crops fail, they become in debt to the traffickers, creating a vicious circle.