1. Proposed Project Title

Oral History of Small Scale-Farmers and the Development of Natural Agriculture in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

2. Project Participants

Project Supervisory Team:

• Dr. Shenah Sharif Abdullah
• M. Trifa Mohammad Ahmed
• M. Tara Salih Ali
• Rebaz Omer Mohammed
• Chawan Jamal Nuri
• Shilan Mohammed Hassan

• Kazhal Muhammad Sharif

   

3. Introduction

" Oral History of Small Scale-Farmers and the Development of Natural Agriculture in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq" is a joint project between the Kurdistan Institution for Strategic Studies and Scientific Research (KISSR) and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation—Beirut Office. It focuses on the topic of food sovereignty, agricultural heritage, and the oral history of farmers across different areas of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The project relies on ethnographic field research, interviews, and field visits to villages within the Sulaymaniyah Governorate and other governorates in the Kurdistan Region. It provides training, film production, visual and theoretical educational outputs , and scientific/educational knowledge exchange, while raising awareness in marginalized areas and among overlooked populations, prioritizing food sovereignty, natural farming, and clean food production.

Now in its third year of operations, this project continues its training and strategic field operations in the villages of Sharbazher, Sharazoor, Garmyan, Surdash, Qaladze, Penjwen, Qaradagh, and Kalar and aims to expand into new territories over the next two working years. Across these regions, the oral histories and traditional agricultural expertise of local farmers are documented. Concurrently, farmers receive and exchange up-to-date scientific information on sustainable natural agriculture, natural management methods, and clean food production.

At the conclusion of the project, its achievements, outcomes, and proposals will be compiled into academic papers, reports, and audiovisual productions and will me made accessible. These findings will be distributed to relevant stakeholders—including the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, and local and international organizations—to improve the state of local agriculture, support domestic farmers, and build a localized seed and crop infrastructure capable of withstanding future crises and unforeseen challenges.

4. Objectives

The objective of this study is to analyze, investigate, and document the history of agriculture and its transformations and implications in Kurdistan from the British colonial era to the present day. It aims to familiarize researchers and various social classes with the heritage, experiences, and farming methods of local farmers across different regions of Kurdistan, securing their oral histories and protecting them from erasure, as well as building knowledge and awareness about them. 

Furthermore, the project seeks to understand current agricultural dynamics and immediate challenges faced by farmers in order to propose sustainable, long-term, strategic solutions. It also aims to produce knowledge surrounding the culture of natural agriculture in Kurdistan and make it readily available to the Ministry of Agriculture, relevant line ministries, researchers, educators, scientific and social centers, and organizations. This output serves to raise awareness and provide healthy farming methods as a viable alternative to industrialized agriculture, while fostering learning, research, and general agricultural improvement.

The long-term objective of the project is to achieve food sovereignty (food security) by expanding natural agricultural farms, establishing heirloom seed banks, and ensuring clean food production, while simultaneously reinforcing and supporting the sustainable and natural farming skills of local farmers.

5. Project Funding, Partners & Timeline

6. Project Beneficiaries

• Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
• Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources
• Kurdistan Institution for Strategic Studies and Scientific Research
• Universities, institutes, and other higher education institutions in the Kurdistan Region
• Ministry of Education and educational centers
• Local farmers in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate and other regions of the Kurdistan Region
• Students, researchers, and instructors of agricultural engineering sciences at the University of Sulaymaniyah and other academic institutions
• General Directorates of Agriculture in (Sulaymaniyah, Halabja, Bazian, Raparin, Garmyan, etc.)
• Agricultural extension offices in Sulaymaniyah, Bazian, Kalar, Chamchamal, Qaladze, Halabja, Khurmal, Byara, etc.
• Environmental and civil activists, alongside domestic and international organizations