Syria is entering a new phase of political and economic transformation following the initial steps of its liberation. Despite the enduring hardships of war and economic blockade, the country is gradually shifting toward openness, both domestically and internationally. This slow but deliberate transition has required the Syrian state to confront decades of structural collapse, service deterioration, and the crushing legacy of sanctions that weakened all sectors—most critically, the productive economy.
Today, with international sanctions beginning to lift, the government has had to re-prioritize its economic strategy, placing domestic production at the heart of recovery. Within this new hierarchy, agriculture stands as a foundational pillar of Syria’s national economy.
Anxiety Amid Opportunity
This shift toward openness has generated concerns—particularly about how to protect local production in the face of rapid market liberalization and potential flooding of the domestic market with cheaper, often better-packaged goods from neighbouring countries. Can Syrian products withstand such competition in terms of price and quality? And more importantly, how can Syria harness the lifting of sanctions to rebuild its agricultural sector comprehensively?
According to agricultural economist Akram Afif, these concerns are valid, especially given the low purchasing power of many Syrian consumers. Economic hardship often pushes them toward the cheapest available products, regardless of quality—further undermining national production.
Yet, Afif notes that Syria possesses unique climatic conditions—especially abundant sunlight—that favour the production of organic goods. This offers Syria a potential competitive advantage in both cost and quality, particularly in niche markets.
Challenges and Untapped Potential
Improving the competitiveness of domestic agricultural products, however, is not simply a matter of good weather. It requires serious support measures, including:
- Direct financial aid to farmers, such as subsidized inputs (e.g., organic fertilizers)
- Affordable credit for agricultural activities
- Infrastructure rehabilitation (many farmers, for instance, lack access to diesel for irrigation or essential herbicides)
Export support is equally critical. Under the Assad regime, Syria’s agricultural exports were often neglected in favour of imports. Most countries in the world incentivize exports through subsidies and logistical support, yet Syria previously did the opposite—actively discouraging exports while supporting imports through dedicated funding mechanisms. Reversing this model is essential to Syria’s agricultural recovery.
Afif insists that agricultural exports—especially those in plant-based and animal-based goods—must now receive substantial encouragement and facilitation.
Afif further criticizes past policies that favoured importers while burdening domestic producers. Government-backed cronies monopolized imports, leaving farmers with exorbitant input costs and minimal support. For example, a farmer purchasing fertilizer from a government agricultural bank might pay 450,000 Syrian pounds per bag—nearly double the market price in the private sector. This inflated margin reflects collusion between officials and private sellers, to the detriment of Syrian agriculture.
The new political environment, however, appears more open to reform. The gradual lifting of sanctions presents an opportunity to correct these distortions, provided protective measures are put in place to safeguard the domestic market and its producers.
A Viable and Strategic Solution: Contract Farming
Afif proposes a forward-looking solution: contract farming. By linking agricultural production to pre-negotiated external market demands, farmers can secure steady income while aligning with Syria’s broader economic goals. He particularly highlights Syria’s massive yet underexploited potential in the cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants.
Syria is home to more than 3,300 types of such plants. Each of these represents a multi-stage value chain: land preparation, cultivation, harvesting, extraction, packaging into pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, or herbal remedies, and export. This process could generate over 10,000 jobs per product type, and—cumulatively—over 36 million employment opportunities nationwide if fully activated under a structured contract farming system.
Such a transformation, Afif argues, would not only boost the agricultural sector but also contribute to sustainable economic development—especially as the new Syrian government demonstrates greater openness to innovation and external investment.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
