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

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.

Korea is reinforcing its commitment to building a more secure and sustainable farming environment.

Korea is taking a significant step towards safeguarding its agricultural sector with the introduction of a new, comprehensive crop disaster insurance scheme designed for four key fruit crops—apples, pears, sweet persimmons, and astringent persimmons.

 Song Mei-ryeong, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, annouched this upgraded insurance product is set to launch first in major fruit-producing regions, offering growers stronger resilience against increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

This new coverage model differs notably from existing insurance options. It provides protection throughout the entire growing season and includes damages that occur after fruit thinning, a stage where crops are often more vulnerable. By covering losses caused by natural disasters at every phase of cultivation, the policy aims to close long-standing gaps that farmers have struggled with under earlier schemes.

A major advantage of the new product is its inclusion of compensation for heatstroke damage triggered by heat waves after thinning—a growing concern as extreme temperatures become more frequent. The Ministry emphasises that this broader protection makes the insurance far more beneficial compared with traditional offerings.

Before the thinning stage, farmers will be eligible for compensation for all natural-disaster-related losses. After thinning, the insurance will cover damages linked to specific natural events. One notable feature is the continuation of the pilot anthracnose insurance for apple growers. This initiative supports farmers whose crops suffer anthracnose infections despite diligent prevention measures. Compensation is provided once the farmer’s control efforts have been verified.

The Ministry has also highlighted a clear threshold for certain claims: “When there is rain for 5 consecutive days and the accumulated rainfall is 150mm or more.” This measurable standard ensures fairness and clarity for farmers when submitting damage reports.

In addition to fruit-crop protection, the government is also adjusting insurance timelines for other major crops. Due to delays in sowing and transplanting caused by heavy rain, the subscription period for both agricultural income stabilisation insurance and crop disaster insurance for garlic and onions will be extended by one week. This extension aims to maximise participation and ensure that as many farmers as possible are covered during this challenging season.

By expanding the scope of agricultural insurance, Korea is reinforcing its commitment to building a more secure and sustainable farming environment—one where growers have the tools and support needed to face rising climate risks with greater confidence.

PSAV, NAEC, PepsiCo and CARE launched Phase II. (Image credit: NhanDan)

PepsiCo Foundation, the Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture in Vietnam (PSAV), the National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC), and CARE have officially launched Phase II of the “I am happy to sow” project, now known as the New Crop: Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, in Vietnam.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the Vietnam–US bilateral trade mission in Washington DC from 10–14 November 2025, formalising the continuation of a successful public–private partnership (PPP) model designed to support smallholder farmers.

Running from January 2026 to December 2028, the New Crop project will operate in Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Thanh Hoa provinces, with a strategic focus on regenerative agriculture and inclusive value chains to tackle climate change. It is expected to directly benefit 13,600 smallholder farmers, including 8,160 women and 5,440 men, and indirectly impact more than 73,400 people across the region. The initiative forms part of the global She Feeds the World programme, which empowers women and smallholder farmers to improve productivity, nutrition, and overall community well-being.

C.D. Glin, President of PepsiCo Foundation, said, “The New Crops project demonstrates our unwavering commitment to equality in the global supply chain. By supporting women farmers and smallholder farmers, we not only help increase productivity but also empower women, promote financial independence, and build a more sustainable future for their communities. This is how the company realizes its pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) Strategy.”

The project’s success relies on a strong PPP model linking ministries, research institutes, local partners, and private-sector actors. PSAV and NAEC provide technical support, develop policies, and coordinate with local authorities, while the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (WASI) contributes scientific expertise. Deputy Minister Hoang Trung, said, “The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is pleased that PSAV and NAEC are meaningfully accompanying the project in the role of connecting and promoting the public-private partnership (PPP) model… PepsiCo Foundation, CARE and the business community will continue to play a pioneering role – not only in finance, but also in technological innovation, value chain management and shaping sustainable consumption trends.”

The New Crop project focuses on three interconnected objectives: building climate-resilient food systems, empowering smallholders—especially women and ethnic minorities—to adopt regenerative agriculture, and establishing inclusive value chains by improving access to inputs, finance, technology, and markets. Successful practices will be documented, scaled, and disseminated through the Food Innovation Hub Vietnam (FIH-V) for long-term impact.

Crystal Lander, Vice President of Global Advocacy at CARE, added, “The New Crops project not only helps smallholder farmers increase productivity, but also regenerates soils and protects livelihoods in the face of increasingly complex climate change. This is an important step towards long-term sustainability.”

BKCC aims to transform this reality by rethinking the vertical farming structure from the ground up.

Farmers Lab Ltd. of Korea has unveiled a groundbreaking advancement in controlled-environment agriculture with the launch of its BK Conveyor Culture (BKCC) system — a horizontally revolving vertical farming technology designed to address one of agriculture’s most urgent challenges: labour shortages.

As farming communities age and younger generations increasingly avoid work that involves harsh weather, long hours or inconsistent income, both traditional and indoor farms are struggling to find workers. Even modern vertical farms continue to depend heavily on manual labour, with fixed-rack systems requiring operators to climb ladders, stretch to reach upper trays and move repeatedly between narrow aisles.

BKCC aims to transform this reality by rethinking the vertical farming structure from the ground up. Instead of having workers move around the farm, the BKCC system rotates the trays horizontally, bringing crops directly to the operator. Planting, irrigation, harvesting and cleaning can all be carried out comfortably from a standing or seated position, reducing physical strain and improving overall safety. This human-centred approach allows farmers of all ages to work more efficiently, more comfortably and with far less risk.

The system has demonstrated the potential to reduce labour requirements by up to 70%, while also achieving 80% water savings compared to traditional fixed-rack vertical farming operations. BKCC’s simplified workflow reduces fatigue, increases output stability and produces more uniform crops thanks to consistent environmental control.

Operating within a carefully managed indoor environment, the BKCC system uses hydroponic precise irrigation, energy-efficient LED lighting, fully clean and soilless production and an intuitive IT dashboard for monitoring. Optional AI-driven growth analysis provides further insight for farmers looking to optimise yield and resource efficiency. These features make BKCC suitable for a wide variety of crops, including microgreens, leafy vegetables, sprouts, animal fodder and virus-free nursery plants destined for greenhouses or open-field transplanting.

The system has already proven its performance through successful trials and commercial operation in both Korea and Singapore, carried out through collaborative research and development partnerships. With consistent output and reliability demonstrated in real-world settings, new installations are now underway in Australia and additional international markets, signalling BKCC’s growing global presence.

Created with a strong social mission in mind, BKCC reflects the company’s philosophy: “Pride for Farmers, Future for Youth.” The technology supports older farmers by making agricultural work physically manageable, while offering younger generations a compelling entry point into clean, high-tech, sustainable farming. As many fixed-rack vertical farms struggle with complexity and rising operational costs, BKCC provides a simpler, safer and more accessible solution tailored to practical farming realities.