A1. Justification

According to the Phase 1 assessment findings, lack of financial resources (81%) followed by lack of equipment (36%) are seen by those surveyed as the two biggest obstacles to farming post-IS (O’Driscoll et al, 2021). Financial viability and sustainability is key for restoring cultural practices. As demonstrated by the initial needs assessment, food is seen to have significant cultural importance, with a large majority of those surveyed seeing meals for special occasions (72% of overall respondents; 82% for Kaka’i) and dishes connected to religious events (62% of overall respondents; 76% of Yazidis; 83% of Turkmen) as playing an important role in their life (Ibid). Moreover, there has been a loss of traditional methods of producing culturally significant food products due to not only the destruction of many of the raw materials used (e.g. olive trees) but also to the destruction of factories and production facilities.

Broadly speaking, farmers across minority groups report that local production is unable to compete with cheap imports, and prices remain low, leaving little to no profit margin for farmers, thus disincentivizing production of culturally relevant animal and plant varieties. Locally raised livestock, an important source of income for farmers, cannot compete with imported meat and dairy products from Turkey and Iran. There’s a similar situation in the crop sector in addition to complaints about the government grain procurement program, which includes significant delays in receiving payment, long queues in the silos hence incurring more transportation cost and being asked to pay a bribe for their grain to be accepted at the silo. Grain farmers also sell smaller quantities of their grains to cattle farmers, who use grains to feed their livestock. While this offers grain farmers a quick income, the market demand is small, and often they have to sell for lower prices compared to the government procurement program. 

Marketing has been identified as important for both the University of Duhok and farmers. The University of Duhok offers extension consultations to the community, teaches students, and conducts applied research to answer problems the farming community is facing. A focus on marketing will enable local farmers to situate the value of their products both in economic and sociocultural terms, acknowledging the need for a solid financial foundation that can support the production and recovery of culturally relevant food, feed, fibers and fuel. In addition, marketing through community engagement, impact reports, and storytelling may encourage increased student enrollment and more collaboration with stakeholders. Marketing for producers means getting profitable prices for their products, providing the right type of goods at the right place, in the right quantity and quality at the right time. 

The focus of marketing in this activity will be:

A thorough assessment of a market for a specific product (co-produced by University of Duhok and community stakeholders focusing on a product of their choice) studying the dynamics of the market, potential customer segments, buying patterns, market demand, competition, and other important factors.

Branding activity to elevate the awareness and demand for agricultural and cultural products that are raised locally and or value-added to make local production more rewarding than imported products.

Promoting the extension/engagement resources of the University of Duhok in collaboration with local community leaders to increase cultural practices and opportunities for small villages.    

Strengthening the interactions and collaborations between international stakeholders, NGO’s, local community leaders and the University of Duhok to cooperatively focus on community-identified needs and practices to strengthen livelihoods and lives.

A1. Approach

A co-production, locally-sourced innovation approach will be developed for the implementation of this activity. The project will leverage demonstration/research plots as innovation laboratories, community learning spaces, and productive assets. This process will rely on (a) planning and strategy, (b) diversity and community engagement, (c) locally available resources, (d) risk awareness at the operational, environmental and sociopolitical levels, (e) active data collection for evidence production and learning, and (f) promotion of multi-sectoral, multi-level partnerships and collaboration. The management process will have three macro steps: (1) Ideation, (2) Co-Design, and (3) Implementation. This iterative process will allow communities and the UoD to test, control and improve methods, approaches and techniques for agricultural production.

In order to achieve the proposed outcomes, a full market analysis, involving a faculty member and graduate student from Purdue University working collaboratively with faculty members from the University of Duhok, will be carried out. Together they will complete a full market analysis for one of the identified products (dates, tahini, olive oil, and pickles) in three distinct locations. A full market analysis will take about 8 months to complete. This will be a collaborative activity between Purdue University and University of Duhok that can be replicated in the future between University of Duhok and local farmer groups. The purpose is twofold: the data from the analysis will be useful in defining production and marketing opportunities (end result), but also will serve as hands-on practical training of University of Duhok staff working alongside Purdue marketing specialists (process).

Conjointly, a two-week workshop will be held within the first half of Phase 2 for 15 faculty and staff of University of Duhok. The workshop will take place primarily on Purdue University’s campus, but will incorporate visits and or stays on the Indiana University and University of Notre Dame campuses. The educational workshop will focus on 4 areas: production, marketing, social science, and extension/engagement. Potential topics for the workshop were identified as a need from UoD and listed below (subject to change during the planning process). Some will be modeled as a Training of Trainers (ToT) while others will be a skill transfer.

University of Duhok will support technical transfer and skill-building for local farmers on how to assess markets, diversify production, and increase profits. The University of Duhok will become more recognized as a valuable source of practical information and strengthen collaboration with community stakeholders in their research and outreach work to encourage long-term, sustainable planning and living across cultures. Additional capacity development support will be provided to grassroots collectives and organizations of farmers and producers. 

Assessment participants highlighted a number of issues that were perceived as potential drivers of tension between groups, namely political parties resorting to identity politics, displacement-driven demographic changes in certain areas, widespread use of inflammatory and/or hate speech in social media, and conflicts over land and property ownership. In spite of the abovementioned factors, cooperative behaviors persist across groups and communities. The assessment found that “community members still demonstrate a willingness to collaborate, and both community leaders and members talk fondly of the past when cultural practices brought communities closer together” (O-Driscoll et al. 2021). Farmers still engage in cooperative behaviors with neighbors, in practices such as  sharing equipment, storage facilities, and information with one another. Farmers also indicated they are currently exchanging information about crops, pest control, irrigation, seeds and learning from one another. 

Based upon these insights, this project will build upon existing associative practices aiming at enhancing and strengthening them, leveraging the positive attitudes across the board on the value of cooperation and agricultural exchange. Considering the desirability, feasibility and viability of enhanced cooperative practices and improved organization, the project will seek to support farmer associations in increasing access to resources and markets.

A1. Brief description of sub-activities (in chronological order)

1. Action Plan Development: Based on Phase 1 results, identify 3 areas/towns that have strong enough leadership, organizational structure, and interest to participate in the co-implementation of demonstration plots and training sessions. (month. 1)

2. Curriculum Development: Identify a UoD team of faculty with expertise in supply chain economics, plant and animal sciences, extension/engagement, etc. to focus on the UoD plots as a demonstration/training facility. Also, identify 1 – 2 faculty to work on the workshop planning committee. Identify the products of focus for the market analysis and UoD faculty to participate. (month 2-3)

3. Curriculum Facilitation: Planning of ToT sessions in needs assessment, facilitation, and community space/botanical garden with the UoD team. (month 3-4)

4. Curriculum Facilitation: Two-week workshop conducted face-to-face in Indiana for UoD team focusing on production, marketing, social science research methods, and community engagement. (month 5-6)

5. Demonstrative Garden's Viability Assessment: Teams of 2-3 UoD faculty and staff start visiting the 3 towns to begin conversations and follow-up initial discussions with local groups of leaders, farmers, residents and anyone interested regarding the planning of the community space/botanical garden. (month 5-6)

6. Curriculum Development: UoD develops the plots as a demonstration/training location, prioritizing the “how to” demonstrate the production and use of plants and other biological resources for financial or cultural uses (month 5-6)  

7. Action Plan Implementation: Build and plant community spaces/botanical gardens. (month 5-7)

8. Curriculum Facilitation: UoD team prepares and delivers the storytelling facilitation, the discussions about cultural practices, history and entrepreneurship efforts that each town chooses to develop. (month 6)

9. Curriculum Facilitation: Follow up virtual workshops for the UoD team based on topics identified during the two-week workshop and field visits. (month 7-18)

10. Market Analysis: Completion of market analysis and presentation of results to UoD. UoD presentation to towns. (month 10-11)

11. Monitoring and Accompaniment: Monthly visits of UoD team to each town to support, encourage, problem-solve, and offer additional training and ideas. (months 7-18)

12. Work with leaders and local coordination: Identify surrounding town leaders or invite representatives from other towns to see what they are doing. When possible, facilitate more faculty and graduate student visits to conduct surveys and interviews to research progress and challenges. (months 12-18).