Wars, sanctions and the fall of a tyranny in Iraq have resulted in an almost complete breakdown of the national economy. The Iraqi people, in close collaboration with the international community, are currently facing the challenging task of rehabilitation, reconstruction and sustainable development of their country. Since the agriculture sector assumes a prominent role in the national economy, extensive efforts to achieve sustainable agricultural and rural development assume high priority. In this regard, FAO has been working closely with the Iraqi people, bi-lateral and multi-lateral partners in development on trying to answer 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?"
During the past decade, FAO has been heavily involved in assisting the Iraqi people in the relief and rehabilitation efforts conducted under the Oil-for-Food Programme. These efforts have been carried out by FAO in close collaboration with the national and regional authorities, other international agencies as appropriate.
FAO has been entrusted with the implementation of the Oil-for-Food Programme in relation to the food and agricultural sector in the northern Governorates, and conducting substantive observation of the distribution of agricultural inputs and supplies procured by the government in the centre/south of the country.
At the same time, FAO has formulated a Three-year Programme for the rehabilitation of the agriculture sector in the three northern Governorates. The Programme consists of the following components: (i) addressing agricultural-related needs of vulnerable groups; (ii) improving farming systems and use of land resources; (iii) rehabilitating agriculture-related infrastructure; (iv) supporting agricultural services; and (v) improving programme planning, implementation and management, (see Chapter XVI).
Meanwhile, following the recent war (March 2003) in the country, and appreciating that under the new political environment the sanctions have been lifted, the Oil-for-Food Programme will be terminated by 21 November 2003, the present document attempts to provide pragmatic and operational approaches for the formulation of a strategy for the transition from relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction to sustainable agricultural development. The document further argues that there is a need for a new Oil-for-Development Programme so that the oil revenues would be spent for the economic development of the entire population. As a matter of fact, this suggestion has, de facto, already been implemented through the recent establishment of a Development Fund for Iraq. The brief of the new Fund is, indeed, very much in line with the proposed Oil-for-Development Programme as highlighted below, (see Chapter IV).
The document's main objective is to highlight a strategy for the transitional process towards sustainable agricultural development in Iraq with the view to providing some answers to the above questions.
