Katie Couric took to the air yesterday in Afghanistan, where she was with Defense Sec. Robert Gates and U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke to survey the war-torn nation’s vast poppy fields.

The U.S. government wants to end cultivation of poppy, which is transformed into opium, but, as Couric explains, there’s no easy solution. Via CBS News:

Ambassador Richard Holbrooke has said destroying the poppy fields would only strengthen the Taliban. As Sec. Gates told me today, you have to find a crop to replace the poppies or every farmer becomes a Taliban recruit.

The U.S. military is bullish about helping with an agricultural transformation….encouraging farmers to plant pomegranates or vineyards, arranging microfinance and giving economic incentives. Officials say Afghanistan is an agrarian culture, relying on farming for centuries and NOT poppies. Agricultural teams will be coming from the states to offer advice and water experts may help direct farmers about what can thrive in this often drought-stricken land.

Once the poppy has been cultivated, which happens over the next few weeks, the farmers will again take up arms and join the fighting, which has ravaged the country for years.