Since the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, poppy production has skyrocketed in the country. The Afghan heroin industry is by far the largest in the world. For the past several years, a group of Afghan and foreign businessmen has been trying to offer an alternative, by urging farmers to grow flowers for perfume instead of for drugs. But it has been a frustrating and costly project.
— From Promoting Perfume, Not Poppies, in Afghanistan at NPR. Click on the link to read more or listen to the broadcast (about 5 minutes long). Thanks to both Anita and Oedipa for sending the link!
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That's amazing. I'm sorry to hear they are liquidating the company (Gulestan, if I am remembering correctly, means land of roses!), but wish them every success in the future. I would LOVE to try a perfume made in Afghanistan! Thanks for posting R!
I listened v. quickly this morning Pia, I need to listen again! Glad it was interesting.
I wish opium poppies had a scent (besides the sap). They're incredibly beautiful.
I caught brief bits of this while I was running around getting ready for work this morning. Interesting but sad — nostalgia for my former dreams of working on third-world development projects. Setting up perfume distilleries sounds like something that would fascinate me.
There you go: your next career…
They really are.