How WFP is supporting local innovators in making Iraq food-secure
What do mushrooms, healthy soil and smart irrigation have in common? They are all part of WFP Iraq’s PALM (Promoting Adaptation through Localized Methods) Innovation Programme to help local entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into practical solutions for food security.
By Julia Dalibor
Iraq is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, facing extreme heat, drought, desertification and increasing water scarcity. At the same time, rapid population growth and inefficient water use are intensifying pressure on agriculture and livelihoods.
To support Iraq’s transition from humanitarian recovery to long‑term development, WFP works across the country to strengthen resilience through food assistance, skills training, school meals, social protection and climate action. The PALM programme builds on this by activating Iraq’s home‑grown innovation ecosystem, identifying cost‑effective solutions that are sustainable, scalable and rooted in local realities.
Designed by the WFP Innovation Accelerator together with WFP Iraq, the programme set out to identify home‑grown, cost‑effective solutions, both low‑tech and high‑tech, that could enhance climate adaptation and improve livelihood opportunities for vulnerable communities. To activate the local innovation landscape, the Accelerator mobilized more than 30 partners across Iraq to source high‑potential entrepreneurs and organizations.
After a competitive selection process, three ventures were chosen for the first sprint cohort: Al‑Reef Mushroom, Zhany and Green Shovel. Over a six‑month sprint, these teams are piloting their solutions with farmers, refining their models and preparing for scale. Together, they represent the ingenuity of local innovators working to build a climate‑smart and resilient food system for Iraq.
Let’s meet the innovators behind the solutions:
Al-Reef Mushroom
In Mosul, Al‑Reef Mushroom is tackling a simple but powerful idea: what if local communities could grow mushrooms themselves, even in Iraq’s extreme climate? Fresh produce is scarce in many areas and summer temperatures can reach 52°C, conditions that make traditional crops hard to sustain. Mushrooms, however, can be cultivated indoors, offering a nutritious food source and new income opportunities.
With WFP’s support, the team trained farmers in controlled cultivation, introduced food‑safety and quality standards, improved packaging to survive transport and linked producers to local markets. The result is a working model: farmers are now producing mushrooms locally, earning income and bringing fresh food into places that rarely see it.
To make the system sustainable, the team is establishing Iraq’s first mushroom composting facility, a critical missing link in the national value chain. Though still a small pilot, Al‑Reef Mushroom shows how climate‑smart, community‑driven innovation can unlock new food and livelihood options where they are most needed.
Zhany
Zhany is tackling a challenge that sits at the heart of agricultural productivity: soil health. Across the Kurdistan region and beyond, years of reliance on chemical fertilizers have weakened soil, raised costs and reduced crop resilience. Zhany’s solution is vermicompost and “vermitea,” created from organic waste streams such as crop residues, animal manure and food scraps processed through red wiggler worms.
The nutrient‑rich amendment boosts yields by up to 30 percent, improves water retention by 15–20 percent and reduces farmers’ dependence on chemical inputs, leading to cost savings of up to 40 percent. Demand has already exceeded the capacity of the pilot, showing strong interest among farmers. Compost production for the current season is complete and distribution is about to begin.
Under the PALM Iraq Innovation Programme, the team is also receiving mentorship on packaging, distribution and business strategy to ensure regenerative soil practices can reach more farmers affordably. For households, healthier soil means more reliable harvests, steadier income and more secure access to food.
Green Shovel
Water scarcity is one of Iraq’s most pressing threats to food security. In many rural areas, irrigation practices are based on tradition rather than data, which can make it difficult to use water efficiently. Green Shovel offers a practical alternative: low‑cost sensors paired with AI recommendations that show farmers exactly when and how much water their crops need.
The system is already in use across farmland in Mosul (northern Iraq) and Basra (southern Iraq), with plans to expand to Diyala and Salahaddin in the centre of the country. Farmers using the technology have reported a 16 percent reduction in electricity use, a 16 percent reduction in fertilizer need and improved yields by 15 percent. Just as importantly, the sensors make water use more precise, helping farmers stretch limited resources further.
Because the devices are priced for smallholders, smart irrigation is now accessible to farmers who would normally be excluded from agritech solutions. The outcome is straightforward: more food grown with less water, strengthening household income and market supply while conserving one of Iraq’s most precious resources.
Next steps
The pilots of the PALM Iraq Innovation Programme were completed in early January, giving each team space to gather data, refine their models and deepen engagement with farmers, local institutions and community groups. In February 2025, the ventures participated in a dedicated coaching workshop facilitated by the WFP Innovation Accelerator, where they received hands‑on support in strengthening their business models, applying innovation methodologies such as design thinking and human‑centred approaches and planning the next phase of their growth.
From early 2026 onward, the focus shifts to scaling. This includes continued collaboration with government partners, support from other UN agencies and sustained ecosystem activation to ensure that solutions can grow beyond individual pilots. Over the coming year, the teams, supported by WFP innovation experts, will develop sustainable scale-up roadmaps grounded in local ownership and long-term viability.
Taken together, these three innovations reflect the broader truth that food security in Iraq will increasingly depend on what local actors build, test and refine themselves. By supporting innovators who understand the country’s realities firsthand, the PALM Iraq Innovation Programme offers a glimpse of what a more resilient, locally-driven food system could look like: one where the ingenuity of farmers, entrepreneurs and communities stands at the centre of Iraq’s path forward.
The WFP Innovation Accelerator sources, supports and scales high-potential solutions to end hunger worldwide. We provide WFP employees, entrepreneurs, start-ups, companies and non-governmental organizations with access to funding, mentorship, hands-on support and WFP operations.
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