Topic: Green Initiatives Within the United Nations System
Country: Iraq
Delegate Name: Max Keene
School: Ann Arbor Community High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Iraq position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
Iraq has faced many Events in between 1980 and the present day that have created environmental crises of emergency proportions. Numerous spills have resulted from damage to Iraq’s oil infrastructure and Military operations in three wars have left the nations agricultural economy in a state of devastation. In places such as the alluvial plain, soil quality has been damaged by the deposit of large amounts of salts, making it impossible to grow crops in these areas.
Iraq believes that to become more green it will launch an initiative to improve on there agriculture. In order to revive the war-torn nation’s agricultural economy they would create a co-op providing farmers with technical assistance, farm supplies and credit. In December of 2009 the co-op opened its new office and warehouse facilities and held its first board of directors meeting. Also playing a role in the launch of the cooperative is a team of three USDA Provincial ReconstructionTeam (PRT) agricultural advisors, who offered vital guidance and advice.
The not-for-profit cooperative, the Green Mada’in Association for Agricultural Development (GMAAD), provides free technical assistance and training to farmers in four townships in Mada’in Qada, east of Baghdad in Baghdad Province. The co-op also provides access to low-interest lines of credit to purchase or rent agricultural equipment and supplies, and to secure needed farm services. The co-op does all this at lower costs than the farmers could otherwise find. Membership in the cooperative is growing by 10 percent per month, with more than 800 members to date. With the support of 47 agricultural associations in Mada’in Qada, the Iraq Co-op is playing key role as Iraq rebuilds the farm sector.
