Why Displaced Farmers Do Not Return to Agriculture? Lessons from Iraq

The conflict between Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and security forces in Iraq caused the displacement of 6 million people and the large-scale destruction of the agricultural sector in Iraq. As of April 2020, it is reported that 4.7 million people returned home, while 1.4 remain displaced. This study assesses what it is that prevents displaced farmers from returning to agriculture as a durable livelihood solution. The analysis presented relies on data collected in the panel "Longitudinal Study on Access to Durable Solutions among Iraqi IDPs", drawing on five rounds of data collected between 2016 and 2020 from 3,852 households displaced in 2014-2015. The share of households depending on agriculture as a main source of income declined from 25 to two per cent. This decline is also driven by large-scale destruction of farming assets and irrigation infrastructure, coupled with lack of incentives to return to farming and limited access to farm inputs. The article concludes with policy recommendations highlighting the importance of reconstructing farm and rural infrastructure as a precondition for return to farming. It also emphasises the need for integrated development of rural economies to increase income diversification and improve resilience.