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Navigating the drought: Iraq's struggle for food security.

Agriculture

Iraq’s ambition to achieve wheat self-sufficiency is faltering as a deepening water crisis tightens its grip on the country, threatening food security, rural livelihoods and one of the world’s oldest agricultural regions.

For generations, Iraqi farmer Ma’an al-Fatlawi has relied on the Euphrates River to irrigate his wheat fields near Najaf. But today, the river that once nourished the Fertile Crescent is receding at an alarming rate. Standing beside a cracked irrigation canal, he waits for his limited water allocation, knowing there are few alternatives. “Drilling wells is not successful in our land, because the water is saline,” al-Fatlawi said.

Iraq, historically one of the Middle East’s largest wheat importers, had made notable progress in recent years. A state-backed drive to boost domestic wheat production delivered three consecutive annual surpluses, raising hopes of long-term food independence. Those gains, however, are now under serious threat.

The country is enduring what experts describe as the driest year in modern history. Water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have plunged, forcing farmers to scale back planting. The wheat harvest could fall by as much as 50 percent this season.

“Iraq is facing one of the most severe droughts that has been observed in decades,” the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Iraq representative Salah El Hajj Hassan told Reuters.

Climate change is compounding Iraq’s vulnerability. The largely arid nation ranks fifth globally for climate risk, with average temperatures rising rapidly and rainfall expected to decline further. At the same time, Iraq depends on neighbouring countries for roughly 70 percent of its water supply, leaving it exposed to upstream dam projects in Turkey and Iran.

The FAO says reduced cross-border water flows are the main driver of the crisis, prompting Baghdad to introduce strict rationing. Iraq’s water reserves have collapsed from 60 billion cubic metres in 2020 to less than 4 billion today. “Rain-fed and irrigated agriculture are directly affected nationwide,” El Hajj Hassan said.

In response, Iraq’s agriculture ministry has halved the area allowed for river-irrigated wheat in the 2025–2026 season and mandated modern irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler technology. Rice farming, a highly water-intensive crop, has been banned altogether.

Yet modern irrigation comes at a high cost, placing further strain on rural communities that already make up around 30 percent of the population. Some 170,000 people have been displaced due to water shortages. “This is not a matter of only food security,” El Hajj Hassan said. “It’s worse when we look at it from the perspective of livelihoods.”

Back in Najaf, al-Fatlawi has reduced his wheat acreage to just a fifth of its usual size and laid off most of his workers.

The future of marine resources.

Aquaculture

The Philippines is intensifying its efforts to ratify a landmark international treaty aimed at protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), reinforcing its commitment to ocean conservation and sustainable marine resource management

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has pledged full support to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in promoting the Senate’s concurrence to the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). Signed under the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the BBNJ treaty addresses the conservation and equitable use of marine resources in high seas and other regions beyond exclusive national control.

Although Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President ratified the agreement in 2024-a year after its global adoption - the treaty still requires Senate concurrence before the Philippines can officially participate.

Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., Agriculture Secretary emphasised the agreement's relevance for the Philippines, said, “The BBNJ Agreement is crucial for conserving and sustainably managing marine biodiversity in areas beyond the Philippines’ jurisdiction, allowing the country to safeguard its rich marine ecosystems while ensuring fair access to and equitable sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources.”

As a nation composed of over 7,000 islands and located near areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), the Philippines has a strong stake in the treaty’s success. It was an early signatory and active participant in the negotiation process, aligning with global conservation goals and the principles of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award.

Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusila Esther Bayate stressed the strategic timing of the ratification: once approved by the Senate, the Philippines will be eligible to participate in the first Conference of Parties (COP1). This milestone event is expected to take place shortly after 60 countries submit their ratification instruments to the United Nations. As of late August, 55 nations have completed the process, with momentum building towards reaching the required threshold during the UN General Assembly from September 23–26.

The BBNJ treaty represents a critical tool for archipelagic nations like the Philippines—not only to influence global marine governance but also to safeguard marine ecosystems, promote fair benefit-sharing, and support the livelihoods of coastal communities reliant on ocean resources.

EVJA aims to make digital agriculture practical and accessible. (Image credit: EVJA)

Equipment

Digital transformation in agriculture is gaining momentum across Europe, yet adoption remains uneven. In Italy, only 9.5% of agricultural land is currently digitised, according to data from the Smart Agrifood Observatory.

Despite this modest uptake, the pace of technological change has been rapid. As the team at EVJA explains, “Despite this marginal progress, the sector has transitioned from a few isolated sensors in the field to a wealth of data, forecasting models, regulatory requirements, and sustainability metrics in just a few years.”

This fast evolution has created a new challenge for farmers and agronomists. Multiple digital tools often operate in isolation, using different data standards and interfaces. “The risk is clear. There are so many disconnected solutions, each with its own language. This increases complexity instead of simplifying the work of farmers and technicians,” EVJA notes. To address this, the company developed its Agronomic Intelligence Platform, a single, integrated solution designed to turn complex agricultural data into practical, on-farm decisions. “It is a unified platform for monitoring, analyzing, advocating, and ensuring sustainability by transforming complex data into actionable decisions.”

At its core, the platform aims to simplify data-driven agronomy through one website and mobile app. Farmers and technicians gain access to real-time monitoring of soil, climate and crop conditions, alongside disease forecasting models, an event calendar, complete historical datasets, yield estimation tools and an up-to-date CO2 balance. This all-in-one approach supports precision agriculture, climate-smart farming and measurable sustainability outcomes.

A standout feature of EVJA’s solution is its modular structure. Farms can begin with a Basic plan, which includes monitoring, data history and a digital calendar, and then expand as needs grow. Advanced modules such as Defense, Agronomic Modelling, Yield and CO2 allow the platform to scale alongside the business, supporting a transition towards more efficient, transparent and sustainable farming practices.

The EVJA control unit, equipped with essential sensors, underpins the platform. Through the app, users can view real-time graphs showing soil moisture, temperature and other key parameters, as well as analyse historical data by season, plot or crop. The Defense modules integrate seamlessly, offering AI-powered forecasting for diseases such as downy mildew, alternaria, botrytis and powdery mildew. These models are refined using user-recorded observations, treatments and notes, improving accuracy over time.

Beyond plant protection, the platform includes advanced agronomic models covering evapotranspiration, accumulated temperature, light exposure and chilling hours. These tools help farmers plan irrigation and crop development without complex calculations. The yield module, designed for leafy vegetables and castor beans, supports production forecasts, harvest timing and supply chain planning. Meanwhile, the CO2 module calculates emissions and sequestration, providing reliable data for ESG reporting and retailer requirements.

Through this platform, EVJA aims to make digital agriculture practical and accessible. As the company puts it: “Innovation in the field, sustainability in the yield.”

Feeding Management offers significant cost savings, improved transparency of feeding programs.(Image credit: SILOKING)

Machinery & Equipment

SILOKING’s Feeding Management platform is transforming livestock nutrition by combining precision, transparency, and convenience in one digital solution

Designed for users of SILOKING Data and Wireless weight systems, this web-based feeding tool enables farmers to manage feed rations, monitor costs, and optimise mixing accuracy—all from any internet-connected device. Best of all, it is included free of charge with compatible SILOKING hardware, making advanced feeding management accessible to modern farms.

The platform operates through four key steps: planning rations, executing feeding operations, controlling results, and driving success. During the planning phase, farmers can define feed components, including dry matter and costs, create custom animal groups or unloading points, and build tailored loading and unloading programs. During feeding, actual loads are captured automatically, mixed, and recorded, with data export available in Excel or PDF formats for easy archiving and reporting.

Control and monitoring are enhanced through precision comparisons of target versus actual feed loads, time-filtered reports, and detailed consumption analyses. These insights feed directly into performance metrics such as feed cost per kilogram of milk, feed efficiency, and concentrate efficiency, helping farms reduce waste and improve productivity.

Being fully web-based, Feeding Management eliminates the need for manual updates and allows access via PC, tablet, or smartphone, whether on the farm, in the office, or even remotely. Optional SIM-based mobile data transfer from on-machine weight systems ensures real-time documentation and seamless integration with SILOKING hardware.

Beyond operational benefits, Feeding Management offers significant cost savings, improved transparency of feeding programs, and enhanced compliance with dairy industry regulations and quality assurance programs. By aligning feed mixes with planned rations and analysing load data, farms achieve higher efficiency and better animal performance while minimising waste.

Designed with direct input from farmers, the platform features intuitive dashboards, intelligent recipe management, and actionable analytics, making deviations easier to identify and corrective measures simpler to implement. SILOKING Feeding Management is more than software—it’s a comprehensive tool for smarter feeding and better farm management, bringing precision, efficiency, and profitability to modern livestock operations.