From the  28/4/2025 to 30/4/2025, a training course on natural and sustainable agriculture was held at the Food and Heritage Research Garden at the Kurdistan Institution for Strategic Studies and Scientific Research, with 30 participations attending.

In his welcoming speech, Professor Dr. Shwan Kamal Rashid, the President of the Kurdistan Institution for Strategic Studies and Scientific Research, highlighted the importance of these activities and said: At the Kurdistan Institution we work directly on strategic projects. related to the daily lives of people and our society. One of our projects on food sovereignty emphasises the importance of natural and sustainable agricultural production, free from the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, in order to provide a healthy environment and food.

The training was held on the 28, 29 and 30 of April at the Food and Culture Research Garden of the Kurdistan Institution in collaboration with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation-Beirut Office. Thirty participants from the Sulaimani Directorates Agriculture, Gardens, Agricultural Research and Agricultural Extension, the Halabja General Directorates of Agriculture and academics of the Kurdistan Institution, Sulaimani University, as well as civil society organizations, youth and university graduates and several farmers and gardeners participated in the training which was taught by a Lebanese trainer specializing in sustainable and chemical-free agriculture.

Asst.Prof. Faraidoon Najim Rashid, the Director General of the Kurdistan Institution and the Executive Director of the project said: This project in its second year of work and has provided various scientific activities and training for agricultural employees of government offices, including the Sulaimani Agricultural Extension Office, College of Agricultural and Engineering Sciences. In addition, the project provided seminars and workshops on the dangers of using pesticides and insecticides for farmers in rural areas, including Bazian, Sharbazher and farmers, researchers and employees of different offices in Sulaimani Governorate.

During the three days of the training, critical information and practical lessons were provided about the basics of sustainable agricultural and garden methods, from soil health, land preparation, planting methods, irrigation, and natural treatment of diseases in gardens and fields.

This is a long-term project which aims to increase awareness, enable capacity building and develop the skills of local trainers in the field of natural and chemical-free agriculture.