Iraq / Arab Summit News Agency
BAGHDAD – On World Food Day, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) renew their commitment to help reform Iraq’s food systems, calling for action to address water shortages and climate change.
Building on this year’s World Food Day theme, “Our business is our future – better produce, better nutrition, better environment, better life,” the latest research by the World Bank and UN partners highlights the impact of reduced rainfall on people’s food security.
In a joint statement by the representative of the FAO in Iraq, Dr. Salah al-Hajj Hassan, the representative of the World Food Program in Iraq, Ali Reza Qureshi, and the chief economist of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Alessandra Garbero, they said: “The impact of water shortage in Iraq has become clear through the decrease in the proportion of crop production.” For the year 2021. Urgent action is required to confront climate change, and work together to address the root causes.
The statement added, “Reforming food systems will help the most vulnerable communities in Iraq to withstand future shocks. Resilient and modern food systems are important for long-term food security and sustainable economic growth in Iraq.”
The lack of water has led to plant growth below the normal level, and this affects the proportion of crop production. According to FAO estimates, by the end of the season, wheat production will be 70% lower and barley production will be in very small quantities. The lower levels of rainfall this season have an indirect impact on small farmers who face real challenges in accessing markets due to high prices.
In Nineveh and Salah al-Din governorates, which are most affected by the lack of rainfall, WFP analysis determines that inadequate food consumption and the use of negative coping strategies such as borrowing money or eating less among households is almost double the national average.
Fragile societies, the vast majority of which depend on agriculture, fishing and livestock, and which contribute the least to the climate crisis, are bearing the brunt of the effects with limited means to mitigate the crisis. Urgent action is required to address water shortages and climate change in Iraq, and focus shifts to COP26
