Baghdad, 11 May 2026 – Iraq is taking a new step towards strengthening climate-resilient agriculture and revitalizing rural livelihoods  in some of the country’s most climate-vulnerable areas, with the signing  of a new USD 6.6 million initiative implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). 

Across southern Iraq, climate pressures continue to affect rural communities, with years of drought and harsh environmental conditions placing increasing strain on vulnerable livestock breeders and threatening livelihoods and food security.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Iraq, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Directorate of Agriculture in Najaf Governorate, organized a training and distribution ceremony of modern agricultural equipment to develop date palm value chain in the governorate.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture – Federal Government of Iraq, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Kurdistan Region (MoAWR), is advancing the implementation of a regional Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) project entitled “Emergency Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Outbreaks in Iraq and Syria and Prevention of Its Transmission to Lebanon and Jordan.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of Iraq and with the support of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, concluded the Inception Workshop for the Global One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative on the Sustainable Development of Date Palm in Iraq, held from 27 to 29 January 2026 in Baghdad.

Partners of the European Union-funded Agri-food Business Development Programme (AfBDP) convened in Baghdad at a high-level event organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to highlight progress across Iraq’s agri-food value chains and strengthening dialogue on unlocking private sector investment in the agricultural sector.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Iraq, in cooperation with the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources and Environment, and the local government, organized a ceremony to distribute 150 modern water pumps to members of Water User Associations in Al-Gharraf District, Thi Qar Governorate. This activity was implemented within the framework of the project “Restoring and Strengthening the Resilience of Agrifood Systems in Southern Iraq”, funded by the European Union.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of Iraq (MoA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (MoAWR-KRI), has officially launched the regional Technical Cooperation project “Emergency control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in Iraq and Syria and prevention of its transmission to Lebanon and Jordan”.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources-KRG (MoAWR) and the Emergency Management Centre for Animal Health (EMC-AH), successfully concluded a Five-day workshop in Erbil on “Developing a National Manual for Operations during Animal Health Emergencies / Emergency Response Plan (ERP),” as part of FAO’s project “Strengthening Iraq Veterinary Legislation and Expanding Delivery of Animal Health Services and Disease Surveillance”.

In collaboration with the Government of Iraq, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Iraq is convening a series of meetings of the National Committee for the Review of Animal Health and Veterinary Legislation.

As part of the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Forum 2025, Iraq took part in the first-ever global exhibition “From Seeds to Foods”, held from 10 to 13 October 2025 in Rome’s Park of Porta Capena. The event brought together countries, producers, and innovators from around the world to showcase the journey of food from its origins to the table, celebrating agricultural diversity, local know-how, and sustainable agrifood systems that leave no one behind.

Today, with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health marked a major milestone with the signing of a Cooperation Framework to ensure complementarities between the Animal Health Law and the Public Health Law, strengthening coordination between the veterinary and public health sectors.

Iraq marked a major milestone for climate action yesterday with the launch of its first-ever Green Climate Fund (GCF) project, titled "Strengthening Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Iraq" (SRVALI)". 

A specialized training workshop on establishing, organizing, and managing Farmer Field Schools (FFS) on green fodder cultivation and improved animal feeding concluded in Najaf Governorate. The activity is part of the project “Integrating Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices for Women’s Empowering in Iraq,” funded by the Government of Norway and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and local authorities in Karbala, Basra, and Thi Qar.

Under the patronage and participation of Excellencies Dr. Abbas Jabr Al-Maliki, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Mohamed Al-Hassan the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations for Iraq, and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), and FAO Representative in Iraq, Dr. Salah ElHajj Hassan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted a ceremony under the Climate Wise Women Initiative.

A high-level delegation from the European Union (EU), led by Ms. Henrike Trautmann, Director for the Middle East, Northern Africa and the Gulf, and Mr. Lennart Deridder, Chargé d’Affaires and Head of Cooperation in Iraq, visited Shaqoli and Al-Hamdania in Nineveh Governorate to witness the impact of a completed EU-funded project implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture and local authorities. 

Southern Iraq’s marshland, desert and rangeland ecosystems have long supported farming and grazing communities. In ThiQar, the Mesopotamian Marshes have provided water, food, and income for generations, while the arid rangelands of Al Muthanna have sustained pastoralist livelihoods through seasonal grazing and dryland agriculture. However, years of poor land management, salinity, climate impacts and weak institutional coordination have left the region increasingly vulnerable. These problems have reduced agricultural productivity and affected the quality of life for people living in both governorates. Without proper restoration, both the environment and the livelihoods that depend on it are at risk.

As part of his visit to Baghdad, Iraq, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Mr. QU Dongyu, together with key Iraqi ministries, today launched the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-funded project titled "Strengthening Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Iraq" (SRVALI)". The announcement took place on the sidelines of the 5th Baghdad International Water Conference, in the presence of senior government officials, international partners and United Nations representatives.

Erbil, 14 May 2025 – Building on the momentum of the Climate Wise Women (CWW) Module 1 training held in Basra, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), has concluded a six-day Intensive Training of Trainers (TOT) in Erbil. This l training marked a significant milestone in preparing  Master Trainers—women leaders from Najaf, Muthanna, and Baghdad—to initiate, demonstrate, and spearhead community-level climate action across southern Iraq.

Baghdad, 21 April 2025 – Under the patronage of H.E the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq Mr. Mohammad Shiaa Al Sudani, represented by His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abbas Jabr Al-Maliki, and in close partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concluded its participation in the 16th Agricultural Week held at the Baghdad International Fair from 15 to 20 April 2025.