Role of Rice in Food Security of Afghanistan: A Review

Abstract

Rice is the most important staple after wheat, provides daily calories for most of the country's people, and plays a significant role in food security and nutrition. Rice also contains vitamins and minerals, and its nutrients are more valuable than wheat's. Afghanistan has been considered one of the world's most food-insecure countries due to conflicts, poverty, seasonal factors, drought, and limited access to, availability of, and utilization of staple foods, especially in rural areas. The role of rice in Afghanistan's food security has not been adequately addressed in previous studies and warrants further investigation. This review aims to describe the role of rice in Afghanistan's food security, focusing on production. In the narrative literature review, the relevant keywords for the topic were investigated in popular databases over the last two decades and screened for relevant manuscripts. The resulting information was then organized into different sections of the manuscript. Domestic rice production fulfilled 58.13% of the country's demand in 2023. The average yield of rice in 2023 was 3.11 metric tons per hectare, up 0.7%, and rice-cultivated land increased by 0.7%. Rice cultivated on 129×10³ hectares in 2023 in 16 provinces not only boosted the domestic market but also employed local people. Thus, Afghanistan's land, farmers, and local rice varieties have the potential to increase rice production and provide a strategic staple food for people. Providing all this information is helpful to researchers, advisors to rice farmers, and policymakers, enabling them to develop a favorable plan for a self-sufficient Afghanistan in rice production to produce enough high-quality rice in the future and improve food security.