By Rachel Lee
Afghanistan government officials were in Korea to learn about the country’s soy industry and the development process on August 7-13.
Nutrition & Education International (NEI), a non-government organization, invited the 13-member Afghanistan delegation, including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, for training on how to develop a sustainable soy industry.
The purpose was to “contribute to the soy industry in Afghanistan and eradicate malnutrition” and “learn about the Korean soy industry and soy nutrition, cultivation and processing through lectures and field work,” an organization spokesperson said.
Participants had a training session at the Kyungpook National University in Daegu and had a chance to look around the Soy World Science Museum, Dr. Chung’s Food Co. and the Hyundai Motor factory.
“This program is a multilateral cooperation project with NEI, Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Food Program (WFP) that includes the Saemaul Movement and field work and training to contribute to the development of the Afghanistan soy industry,” the spokesperson said.
According to the NEI, Afghanistan has the world’s worst mortality rate for children under five and women giving birth.
The organization has run the “Seeds of Hope” project since 2003 to eradicate malnutrition in poor women and children and prepare infrastructure for sustainable farming. NEI introduced soybeans to the country and has trained farmers in their cultivation. A soy-milk plant is scheduled for completion in September.
Before 2003, soybean farming was new to Afghanistan, the organization said.
NEI, working closely with the Afghanistan ministry, has trained more than 85,000 farmers on soybean cultivation and home use, as well as providing soybean seeds and fertilizers.
As a result, farming families have become self-sustainable to defeat malnutrition. NEI has also set up soy farmers’ associations to help support production.