Our soil is our gold

“I learnt about bringing back agriculture as profit generating activity to our communities – our soil is our gold,” says a student who attended discussions held at the prestigious University of Mosul in Iraq. Brimming with innovative ideas, 30 young male and female university students of agriculture openly expressed their aspirations towards agripreneurship in the context of entrepreneurial ecosystems and policy in their country.



These conversations also provided an opportunity to raise awareness about the International Trade Centre’s online tools that will be developed for students to support their business ideas.



A small group of Ninewah farmers and buyers also came together to relay their respective perspectives, needs, challenges and opportunities. Together they explored mechanisms for setting up mutually beneficial business deals.



Farmers also learnt about various aspects of trade including quality, storage, delivery requirements, and contractual terms instrumental in helping them compete in the market.



These interactions were organized by the International Trade Centre, through the EU funded “Strengthening the agriculture and agri-food value chain and improving trade policy in Iraq” (SAAVI) project.



The project aims to contribute to inclusive growth and job creation for Iraqi citizens, particularly for youth. It seeks to enhance the competitiveness of Iraq’s agribusiness value chain, while improving the country’s trade policy.