The document presents a vision for the formulation of a strategy for the transition from relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction to sustainable agricultural development in Iraq. The strategy aims at answering such questions as: "What does it take to put the Iraqi food and agricultural sector back on the development track?" And how could FAO and the international community collaborate with the Iraqi people in rebuilding the country?"
The document is divided into three parts: Part I entitled "Towards a Strategy for Sustainable Agricultural Development: the Transitional Process". This section presents a methodological approach for the transitional process. Under this methodology, a step-by-step approach is proposed. The approach includes the following phases: conducting a comprehensive needs assessment analysis; carrying out sub-sectoral needs assessment; developing a programme approach for the transitional process including short, medium and longer-term policy measures; analysing targeting vulnerable groups; adopting the FAO Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) approach for the longer term perception; setting-up temporal (overtime) and spatial (regional) priorities; establishing a mechanism for co-ordinated actions; and based on the above formulating a road map for the transitional process.
Part I also presents an overview of the natural resource base in the country (land resources, land ownership, climate, water resources and agro-ecological zones). The section also highlights the agricultural income and socio-economic conditions in the country. It provides an overview of the population and agricultural labour force; agricultural income; food supply, nutritional intake and health; and a bird's eye view of the Oil-for-Food Programme in the country. This section further indicates that the Oil-for-Food Programme will be phased out by the end of the year 2003. And a new "Development Fund for Iraq" has been set up. The remaining funds in the Oil-for-Food Programme and certain revenues from the country's oil resources will be deposited in the new Fund. The main objective of the Development Fund for Iraq is to ensure that the returns from oil are efficiently invested in sustainable development (that incorporates short-term humanitarian activities, as well as medium to longer-term developmental processes) designed for the benefits of the Iraqi people: present and future generations. The agricultural development process under the new programme would aim at achieving growth, equity and sustainability as the main objectives.
Part I further elaborates the temporal and spatial dimensions of the strategy for sustainable agricultural development in Iraq. Under Chapter V, the document discusses the main objectives of the strategy; examines the temporal dimension of the strategy including short, medium and longer-term actions. In the short-term, the document highlights FAO's perceptions under the UN Humanitarian Appeal. It also presents an overview of FAO's Contingency Plan for short-term actions for the rehabilitation of the agricultural sector. In the medium to longer-term, sustainable livelihoods approach is proposed for adoption. The document elaborates this approach with particular focus on the utilization of the strategy of the FAO Special Programme for Food Security as the underpinning philosophy of the approach.
As regards the spatial dimension of the strategy, the document advocates the adoption of a regional decentralisation approach for agricultural development planning in the country. Under this approach, the document provides guidelines for the adoption of a rational, effective and operational decentralization process.
As an essential element of the transitional process, the document proposes revisiting the highly subsidised "food basket", and formulating appropriate and rational agricultural policy for food security. The document argues that while the highly subsidised "food basket" has been an essential price policy measure to ensure food security and avoid possible famine under the abnormal conditions in the country, in the medium to longer-term food subsidies should be gradually phased out with a view to ensuring improved marketing functions and optimal resource allocations. To this end, there is a need for the formulation and implementation of an appropriate agricultural price policy in the country. Thus, based on FAO experience, the document presents key lessons of experience for the formulation and implementation of agricultural price policy in Iraq. Meanwhile, given the current temporary food security disastrous situation in Iraq, an exceptional case of the existence of "hunger" in an "oil-rich" country has unfortunately emerged. The document, therefore, suggests that FAO Anti-Hunger Programme could be adopted on an emergency basis and as a special case in the country. An overview of the Programme is presented in Chapter VI.
Part II on "The State of Food and Agriculture: An Overview" presents an overview of the status of the key agricultural sub-sectors in the country. In particular the document summarizes the nature, scope, constraints and potential for the following sub-sectors: crop production and protection; water resources and irrigation; farm mechanization; animal production and health; fisheries; forestry land resources management; and food processing. The document argues that while these sub-sectors face certain limiting constraints in the short-term, (particularly in relation to the physical and human infrastructures) in the medium to longer-term the agricultural sector has a great potential for sustainable development in the country.
Part II also addresses the status of agricultural research, extension and training in Iraq. The document found that following the wars and sanction the state of agriculture research, extension and training in the country has seriously deteriorated, and their level is far below what is needed for improving agricultural production and increasing farmers' incomes. Following the years of sanctions, isolation, political instability, there are serious shortcomings in both the physical and human infrastructures for these services. In the transitional process towards sustainable agricultural development, the document, therefore, recommends allocating larger shares of investments, including intensive substantial training programmes in almost all areas of agriculture sciences, to agricultural research, extension and training in the country.
A key issue addressed under Part II is assisting the vulnerable segments of the population in the country following the current events. Under this section, the document provides a working definition of vulnerability; characteristics and classification of vulnerable rural households; activities for vulnerable groups under the Oil-for-Food Programme in the northern Governorates; and issues, constraints, and potential in targeting vulnerable groups in the Iraqi society.
Part III on "Investment Plans and Project Profiles: Towards a Road Map for the Transitional Process" provides key elements for consideration in the preparation of a road map for the transitional process. To facilitate this process, the document presents an overview of the FAO three-year Programme for the rehabilitation of the agricultural sector in the northern Governorates as a model for the formulation of a national agricultural investment plan.
Recognizing the crucial role of the agricultural sector in the Iraqi national economy, it is argued that sustainable agricultural development should be designed and implemented within a national macro-economic setting and with due consideration to the linkages between the sector and the non-agricultural sectors. And appreciating that the sanctions, wars and the fall of tyranny have resulted in an almost breakdown of the national economy and in serious damages to the agricultural infrastructures both physical and human, the document presents an overview of the post-war realities in Iraq and proposes a forward looking approach for the nation-building as the context within which the transitional process could be formulated and implemented.
The document further highlights a number of principals that are recommended for incorporation in the national agricultural investment plan.
The document suggests that for the formulation of a detailed plan, to function as a road map for the transitional process, there is a need for a comprehensive follow-up field work to be carried out by a multi-disciplinary team of experts. The team would analyse the damages to the sector's infrastructure, conduct a comprehensive needs assessment and on the basis of the analyses address the transitional process in relation to key agricultural sub-sectors within the appropriate farming systems approach, and consequently draw the road map.
Finally, on the basis of FAOSTAT Database and available information and data from the field, the document presents a set of Annexes on the country's natural resource base; time series of the production of main crops (from 1989 to 2002); agricultural inputs; livestock production; meteorological information; and food balance sheets.
