From a young age, Zarif was fascinated by bluish blooming fields, crimson color and unique aroma of Saffron. His hometown was adjacent to nearby Saffron fields located in saffron-haven farmlands of Herat. Thus, he developed a great inspiration for the agricultural development, and eventually completed his graduation in 2009 at Herat University, Afghanistan, in agriculture development sciences.
It takes months of preparation on the fields and plucking at least 150,000 Saffron flowers to produce just 1 KG of pure Saffron. He was shocked by seeing the plight of women farmers on Saffron fields; and they informed him that they were paid merely 10% of the original international price. The women farmers were suffering the greater miseries for uncertain future. The drug crop like opium was highly cash-rewarding, so it was the matter of their life and death.
Once the farmers faced severe local market failure to sell their products and connect to the international market, Zarif decided to design and launch an international saffron company to bridge the gap between farmer and market. It was a great action plan to improve their lives, income, and build a sustainable future. In 2011, he won a scholarship from UN-FAO and completed his master’s in Agriculture Development from Corvinus University Budapest Hungary. He shared his vision with several agriculture development agencies and Saffron companies during his studies. He finally launched his own Global Saffron company, “Saffron Avicenna.”
His company has a revolutionary approach to; assist women farmers in remote and conflict-zones, reduce drug production and exports, minimize immigration into the developed world and offer sustainable solutions for sourcing the finest Saffron at the most reasonable and ethical prices. Saffron Avicenna would assist any company or client in the world to import the finest quality Saffron directly from farmers or traders at the most competitive price. It would significantly reduce economic burden and social hardships, solve humanitarian challenges and play a leading role in the agriculture development of Saffron in the country. Zarif has brought a substantial prosperity for farmers and the global Saffron industry.