Iraqi agricultural expert warns farmland conversion threatens food security

BAGHDAD, Iraq — An Iraqi agricultural expert has warned that the conversion of farmland for housing or investment projects risks undermining the country's food security, as debate over land-use policy continues across Iraqi cities. Murtada al-Janabi said agricultural land is a strategic resource that forms a production base that cannot easily be replaced. He cautioned that housing shortages should not be addressed at the expense of fertile farmland, adding that conversion policies pursued without adequate regulation will shrink agricultural areas and deepen reliance on imports. Al-Janabi proposed alternative solutions, including development projects on vacant urban land, vertical construction and revisions to zoning plans. He said authorities responsible for conversion decisions should apply technical, environmental and economic criteria before acting, and warned that unplanned expansion would weaken local production. Iraq's agricultural sector is already facing water scarcity, desertification and falling domestic output, while demand to open farmland to development has grown in recent years amid housing shortages and rising real-estate prices in many cities.