Agriculture and Food Security - Syria
In this village, about 70% of trees produce olives and 10% produce pistachios. Prior to AKF's activities, farmers did not know how to farm pistachios. When the trees did not produce fruit, the farmers would often simply replace them with olive trees. AKF is training farmers on pistachio cultivation to ensure crop diversification and to also increase their income, as pistachios sell for a much higher price than olives.
AKDN / Jean-Luc Ray
In this village, about 70% of trees produce olives and 10% produce pistachios. Prior to AKF's activities, …
AKDN / Jean-Luc Ray
Farmers and agricultural engineering students are learning from AKF trainers how to graft olive trees to ensure a variety that is most suitable to local conditions in Syria.
AKDN / Jean-Luc Ray
Farmers and agricultural engineering students are learning from AKF trainers how to graft olive trees to …
AKDN / Jean-Luc Ray
SYRIA | Agriculture and Food Security
The agriculture sector in Syria suffers from shortages in staple agriculture and livestock production inputs, high input prices and disrupted supply chains. AKF is improving access to inputs, establishing innovative cooperative models, introducing new technologies and helping farmers to improve their techniques.
12,000
In 2025, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) worked with around 12,000 farmers in Syria.
In 2025, 15,000 families were provided with productive assets, seeds and sheep. About 146,000 grazing shrubs were planted to combat desertification, and 32 agricultural groups were equipped with integrated solar-powered water pumping systems.
Alternative Livelihoods
AKF is enabling smallholder farmers to build resilience by protecting, sustaining and reestablishing their livelihoods through new arrangements for pistachio, olive and dairy production. Olive orchards require less water than cereal and vegetable crops and AKF facilitated the creation of the first private olive growers association in Syria. Technical assistance is improving cropping practices in barley, wheat, vetch, pistachio and olives. AKF is also promoting new technologies such as hydroponic and aquaponic systems, through demonstration plots.
AKF introduced improved feeding rations and weaning techniques to complement a long-term local strategy to introduce new breeds and breed stock for sheep. The Foundation promoted best practices in biosecurity measures, disease surveillance systems and extension services in order to reduce high mortality within the poultry sector. AKF also operated a private fee-for-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory, the first of its kind in Syria, and the first to be licensed with the national animal health directorate.