Conservation agriculture in Aleppo
Moteb, a 50-year-old farmer and father of seven. His life was once simple, centered around the land he cultivated in his village in Aleppo. But in 2014, everything changed. The clashes in his hometown forced him and his family to flee, leaving behind not just their home but generations of hard work and stability.
When they returned, the sight was heartbreaking, empty land, abandoned and lifeless. With no money to restart his farming.
“A huge part of my land is left uncultivated because I don’t have the money, and that makes things even harder for us,” he said.
With support from Action Against Hunger (ACF) and funding from the European Union, an initiative was launched to help farmers like him rebuild their livelihoods. Through conservation agriculture approach that includes input distribution, seed drills, and capacity-building programs, the initiative aimed to make farming more sustainable and resilient, especially in the face of climate change.
Moteb was one of the farmers who benefited from this approach. The impact was immediate.
“In these challenging times, conservation agriculture has significantly eased my financial burden by reducing fuel expenses and worker wages. However, we are still hoping for more rainfall, as the current levels are insufficient to achieve the best results and increase production. Seeing its effectiveness firsthand, I have also encouraged my relatives to adopt this farming method.”
For the first time in years, Moteb was able to cultivate his entire land. The weight of financial uncertainty that had long held him back was finally lifting.
