ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Netherlands is supporting and funding agricultural projects in the Kurdistan Region’s eastern Halabja province as part of efforts to promote sustainable farming practices and address water scarcity in the Kurdistan Region, the Dutch consul general to Erbil said.
The Dutch government is active in several agricultural sectors, including dairy, livestock, and horticulture, Consul General Adriaan IJsselstein told Rudaw, describing the cooperation as mutually beneficial for both local communities and Dutch investors.
“We are active in different agricultural projects… and it actually is a win-win situation because they're good opportunities for Dutch investors here, and at the same time it creates food security, it creates local jobs, so we're very happy to cooperate,” IJsselstein said.
He stressed that sustainability and water management are central to all Dutch-backed initiatives in the Region.
“Whatever we do when it comes to promoting agriculture here or exchanging knowledge or discussing with the government, we want to make sure that it's done in a sustainable way and that the water scarcity is kept in mind,” he added.
IJsselstein said the Netherlands is partially funding a hydroponics project with a local entrepreneur in Halabja’s Sirwan district, an area selected by the investor. Rudaw understands that the project is set to be officially announced in a month or two.
“This really shows what is possible when you combine Dutch expertise with Kurdish entrepreneurship,” he said, noting that the project produces “top quality fresh products, lettuce in this case, year round and at the same time saving a lot of water.”
Hydroponics allows crops to grow without soil, using nutrient-rich water solutions that deliver minerals directly to plant roots. The method significantly reduces water consumption while increasing yields.
“With a project like this, you're able to produce a lot of lettuce, a lot of food, while saving an incredible amount of water because it only uses a little bit, a fraction of the water that you would need if you would produce it outside,” he said.
The consul said Dutch cooperation with Halabja extends beyond agriculture to broader economic development and entrepreneurship.
“We work with Halabja on many different fields to support Halabja, to support the local economy, to support local entrepreneurs,” he said.
The Netherlands is also sharing its agricultural expertise with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in areas such as irrigation, water management, and climate-resistant seeds, while providing education and training opportunities for students, farmers, and entrepreneurs.
IJsselstein said Dutch universities exchange knowledge with local institutions and offer “tailor-made” practical training programs for farmers. He added that the Netherlands works closely with Halabja University.
Through initiatives such as Orange Corners, managed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency at the request of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, young entrepreneurs are supported in building sustainable businesses. The program runs CoCreateMyCity, which the consul said encourages youth to develop local solutions to local challenges.
He said that Dutch experts have also trained local decision-makers on food safety standards, including requirements needed for agricultural products to enter European markets.
The Kurdistan Region began exporting agricultural products to Gulf countries four years ago, marking its first non-oil exports as part of efforts to diversify the economy. Thousands of tons of produce have since been exported to the UAE, Europe, and other Gulf states, according to the Kurdistan Region’s agriculture ministry.
Despite this progress, most agricultural products consumed in the Region are still imported from neighboring Iran and Turkey.
IJsselstein said Kurdish produce is of high quality but faces logistical and regulatory challenges.
He noted that European safety regulations are strict and said the Netherlands aims to help local companies meet those standards.
“You [must] have the right packaging, the right labeling, you [must] have the right transportation, you [must] have cold storage,” he said, adding that “we want to cooperate with local companies to see how they can improve” and explore what is required “to make sure that your project is allowed into the European Union.”
IJsselstein said the Netherlands is the “biggest European trading partner” with Iraq, with annual trade totaling around €6 billion (around $7 billion), a figure that applies to Iraq as a whole.
Dutch collaboration has already led to the establishment of several dairy factories across the Kurdistan Region, producing high-quality local products that replace previously imported goods of uncertain quality.
In November 2024, then-acting Dutch consul general Jort Posthumus told Rudaw that between 20 and 30 Dutch companies were operating in the Kurdistan Region, with that number expected to grow.