Alcis satellite imagery reveals 99% reduction in Afghanistan’s opium production

Satellite imagery released by Surrey-based geospatial analytics company, Alcis, shows a 99% reduction in poppy cultivation in Helmand Province, which previously produced more than 50% of Afghanistan’s opium.

New research and analysis by Alcis and Afghanistan expert, David Mansfield, reveals the impact of the Taliban’s ban on growing poppies for opium, with an 80% reduction in cultivation in the south of the country since last year when the ban was imposed.

Building on 20 years’ experience, Alcis has pioneered the use of satellite imagery and machine learning to create a more accurate picture than was previously available.  

According to a 2022 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan supplies 80% of the world’s illegal heroin.

Lead researcher David Mansfield said: “The scale of the reduction will be unprecedented”

Former UK Drug Tzar and UN official, Mike Trace, said: “A sustained reduction in poppy cultivation on this scale will have significant long-term impacts on the patterns of heroin trafficking and organised crime around the world, and also on patterns of consumption and addiction in the UK.”

The research findings received widespread media coverage, including this in-depth report by the BBC.