Iran War Causes Food Insecurity in Afghanistan: a Video Story with Hamid Nikzad

I am trying a new format for my Food, Farms, and Climate SubStack: occasional interviews with Cornell students who have been personally impacted by a warming climate. My first interview is with Hamid Nikzad, who grew up on an almond farm in Afghanistan, worked to create national parks in his country, and just completed his MS degree at Cornell University. We talk about how Afghan farmers are feeling the impact of the Iran War.

YouTube Link to Hamid Nikzad Interview (closed caption option)

Or listen at link on the screen shot below.

We are all aware of oil, fertilizer and food price shocks in the US due to the Iran War. But what about the world’s poor? How is closing the Strait of Hormuz felt by farmers and families in countries that already suffer from food insecurity, conflict, and climate change-linked droughts and floods? I turned to recent Cornell masters degree graduate Hamid Nikzad from Afghanistan for answers.

Hamid told me that because of the drought, his father has had to borrow money to feed his family in Afghanistan. His father is hoping that this year’s almond harvest will allow him to repay the money. But each year, he harvests fewer almonds as rainfall becomes scarcer.

Food prices have risen steeply, not just due to the Hormuz blockade and drought. The recent conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan is also exerting a heavy toll. Hamid says that previously, Afghans grew potatoes during the summer, transported them to Pakistan where the potatoes spent the winter in cold storage facilities not available in Afghanistan, and were then brought back to feed Afghans. With the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan closed, people anxiously await potatoes and other food imports.

In this interview, Hamid talks about his father’s almond farm. He also talks about his work helping to create a national park and a snow leopard reserve before the Taliban returned. Someday he may return to help Afghanistan rebuild its economy and environmental protections.

Hamid and his brother produce popular Rural Vibes YouTube channel with traditional Afghan stories and recipes.

Learn More

If you are curious about the impact of the Iran War on oil prices and food security in Afghanistan and neighboring countries, I’ve linked to three recent short articles and a more lengthy report. The last link below describes five actions countries can take to avoid hunger due to supply chain disruptions like covid or closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran war regional impacts: Growing food security risks in Afghanistan. IFPRI.

The Impact of the US-Iran War on Afghanistan Economy. Review of Afghan Developments.

IMF details Iran war’s disparate and worsening impact on Mena [Middle East and North Africa]. Arabian Gulf Business Insight.

War in the Middle East: Economic Spillovers and Policy Challenges. IMF

How the world can avoid millions going hungry when supply chains collapse. The Conversation.

Credits

Interview with Hamid Nikzad conducted by Marianne Krasny for Food, Farms, and Climate Substack.

Recording by Alex Kudryavtsev

Hamid, Marianne, and Alex are members of the Civic Ecology Lab, Cornell University

Photo Credits: Hamid Nikzad; Sgt. Kyle Wagoner, Wikimedia Commons; ORF Middle East, Google Images Creative Commons; USAID, Pixnio; USAID, Pixnio; IFPRI; AMUTV