Syria: Modest Recovery in Syrian Agriculture Masks Ongoing and Intractable Problems

Sep 18, 2019 | Phoebe Sleet, Future Directions International
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A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization predicted that Syrian wheat production would double this year. The report estimates that wheat production will reach 2.2 million tonnes in 2019, an increase from a 29-year low of 1.2 million tonnes produced last year.  Though this year’s crop marks an improvement in wheat production, it is still far short of the pre-war average of 4.1 million tonnes a year. After eight years of conflict, food security in Syria is precarious and estimates indicate that 6.5 million people are food insecure. A further 2.5 million are thought to be vulnerable to food insecurity.