Iraqi Date Palm as a Sustainable Development System: A Comprehensive Case Study of the Proposed "National Date Palm Program for Sustainable Transformation"


Authors : Dr. Monzer Ali Ahmad

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 1 - January


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2rbeedjy

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/23eduhnc

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jan841

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : This study analyzes the Iraqi date palm sector as a sustainable development system characterized by a structural contradiction between quantitative numerical superiority and qualitative production decline. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical case study approach to examine a comprehensive national framework titled "The National Date Palm Program for Sustainable Transformation." The study employs systems analysis, detailed SWOT analysis, and policy alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It demonstrates that revitalizing the date palm sector can serve as a strategic lever for achieving food security, diversifying the non-oil economy, and enhancing social and environmental stability in Iraq, contingent upon establishing an integrated governance, financing, and phased implementation framework. The analysis progresses from diagnosing productive, economic, and institutional distortions to examining the program's design, strategic pillars, detailed implementation phases, and evaluation mechanisms within sustainable development and circular economy approaches. The study concludes that shifting from a quantity-oriented paradigm to a value-based development model constitutes a decisive condition for Iraq's economic diversification, food security enhancement, and sustainable rural development.

Keywords : Iraqi Date Palm, Agricultural Policy, Sustainable Development, Case Study, Circular Economy, National Date Palm Program, SWOT Analysis.

References :

  1. Al-Khayri, J. M., Jain, S. M., & Johnson, D. V. (2015). Date palm biotechnology and sustainable development. Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 27(6), 493–507.
  2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2019). Date palm development in the Near East. Rome: FAO.
  3. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2021). Sustainable date palm production systems. Rome: FAO.
  4. Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Agriculture. (2021). Annual agricultural statistical report. Baghdad.
  5. Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Agriculture. (2025). Official statements. Baghdad.
  6. United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. New York: UN.
  7. World Bank. (2019). Iraq agricultural sector review. Washington, DC: World Bank.
  8. World Bank. (2020). Transforming agriculture for economic growth in Iraq. Washington, DC: World Bank.

This study analyzes the Iraqi date palm sector as a sustainable development system characterized by a structural contradiction between quantitative numerical superiority and qualitative production decline. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical case study approach to examine a comprehensive national framework titled "The National Date Palm Program for Sustainable Transformation." The study employs systems analysis, detailed SWOT analysis, and policy alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It demonstrates that revitalizing the date palm sector can serve as a strategic lever for achieving food security, diversifying the non-oil economy, and enhancing social and environmental stability in Iraq, contingent upon establishing an integrated governance, financing, and phased implementation framework. The analysis progresses from diagnosing productive, economic, and institutional distortions to examining the program's design, strategic pillars, detailed implementation phases, and evaluation mechanisms within sustainable development and circular economy approaches. The study concludes that shifting from a quantity-oriented paradigm to a value-based development model constitutes a decisive condition for Iraq's economic diversification, food security enhancement, and sustainable rural development.

Keywords : Iraqi Date Palm, Agricultural Policy, Sustainable Development, Case Study, Circular Economy, National Date Palm Program, SWOT Analysis.

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