by Anja Korenblik

About the author: Anja Korenblik works with the Supply Reduction and Law Enforcement Section of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme.

Confronting the illicit trade in drugs and its effects remains a major challenge for the international community. As the organization responsible for leading United Nations’ action against the global drug problem, the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) tries to identify, understand and contain the forces which lead individuals to resort to illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse.

The illicit cultivation of opium poppy and coca is directly linked to rural poverty. The reduction of rural poverty—particularly through sustainable natural resource management—is therefore a necessary component of UNDCP supply reduction programmes. So called Alternative Development Programmes aim to reduce and eliminate the illicit cultivation of drug crops...