| Summary: | The purpose of this study was to synthesize emergent agricultural development
reports related to post-conflict needs assessments in eight southern Iraqi provinces.
This study is an empirical case study of Post Conflict Agricultural Development
Assessments and Strategies in Eight Southern Iraqi Provinces. The objective is a systems
approach using qualitative and quantitative methods to improve Iraqi agricultural
practice, extension and training, community development, security, and policies for
governance. The design called for a case study and a description of pre-deployment
activities of a military-based civilian assessment team, initial organization and
adjustments, and techniques for internal and external communication. Particular
attention was given to agricultural specialties, crosscutting constructs, and data
collection and analysis protocols in eight provinces in Iraq.
Three objectives were identified to achieve the purpose of this study. The first
objective was to identify emergent agricultural development themes from each of the
eight Iraqi provinces. The second objective was to identify emergent agricultural
development trends from each of the eight Iraqi provinces. A third objective was to provide relevant case documentation to assist in future agricultural development/post
conflict development efforts.
It was found that Iraqi agricultural production lags due to many factors, including
counter productive government policies that undermine productivity, distort local
economies, and confound security issues and competition via subsidized credit and
agricultural inputs. Outdated technology and undertrained producers lacking knowledge
of production related areas such as plant and animal genetics, fertilizers, irrigation and
drainage systems and farm equipment. Inadequate and unstable electricity availability
and provision, degradation of irrigation-infrastructure and management systems, a
complete lack of or insufficient access to credit and private capital as well as inadequate
market development and network infrastructure have all taken their toll on evolution and
improvement of agricultural growth in southern Iraq.
It may be that the largest threat to the future of Iraq is not violence, but the
diminishing hope of young people caused by their inability to obtain vocational based
skills training and the lack of jobs that match such skills. A pervasive lack of job
opportunities or perceived lack of job availability may encourage continued civil unrest
and possibly continue the insurgency. In order to address this issue, an aggressive youth
development focus can make a positive impact in the current society. A majority of
youth without useful skills are forced to abandon the farm and move to cities or to
pursue other means of earning income in rural areas.
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