The Agribusiness Incubator
Local Agricultural Ignited
Iraq's economy has its share of problems, and agriculture is one of the most significant challenges, as it is often described as the backbone of the county. Unfortunately, in Iraq agriculture is one of the most neglected sectors. The country relies heavily on oil exports as a source of income, and other neighboring countries’ exports for agriculture, yet fertile land and knowledge exist to make local agricultural production a source for the country. With imported goods entering the market at a low cost, local agriculture is not able to compete at the same margins and suffers. Additionally, agriculture is often seen as a separate entity from business, which often leads to a lack of efficiency and lack of innovation, so many modern technological and innovative advances and environment-friendly practices are not promoted.
With these challenges and more, the Iraq Response Innovation Lab launched the Agribusiness Incubator under the Go Green Initiative to support further developments in local agricultural production. The Incubator focuses on innovative ideas and adapting them to the Iraqi context with language and cultural expectations.
In 2020, the plan was to hold an extensive in-person training for innovators, however with the outbreak of COVID-19 the training moved online. Over the course of ten months, 12 projects were fully incubated, and five projects earned seedfunding of 20,000 USD each to support their launch. Some of the project highlights are using cost reduction methods through technology, reducing wasted water, introducing organic techniques, and knowledge and capacity building for local farmers.