Farming Under Pressure - Challenges Facing Farmers in Syria

Syrian Arab Republic Source: Danish Refugee Council Please refer to the attached file. Introduction Agriculture plays an important role in Syria’s economy, providing employment and income for a large share of the population. It supports rural communities, contributes to food security, and is considered the backbone of many households. Prior to the crisis, the agricultural sector employed around 21.9% of Syrians. As of 2022, around 15.5% of the labour force remained engaged in the sector.1 The Syrian crisis has had a profound impact on the sector, with irrigation systems and production infrastructure damaged, markets disrupted, land contaminated with explosive ordnance (EO), and housing, land, and property (HLP) issues restricting farmers’ access to their land. At the same time, recurrent drought, desertification, economic deterioration, and weakened institutions have also affected rural livelihoods. Women, youth, and displaced populations remain among the most vulnerable groups in affected rural communities. In 2025, the country experienced one of the worst droughts on record in nearly 36 years, affecting nearly 75% of cultivated areas and resulting in crop failures, poor pasture conditions, and water shortages. The drought is also driving competition over limited water and grazing resources, increasing tensions between farmers and herders, while disease and pest outbreaks threaten the remaining crops and livestock. Furthermore, declining incomes are forcing households to adopt negative coping strategies, such as selling productive assets or potentially migrating, and limiting their ability to access agricultural inputs and irrigation. Against the backdrop of challenges facing Syria's agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture launched its National Agriculture Strategy 2026–2030 in February 2026. The strategy underlines improving crop varieties, promoting climate-resilient farming, and ensuring the sustainable use of water and land resources. This comes during