Iran: agriculture in context.

Iran was among the 27 countries and territories named in WFA’s founding initiative. The association’s first international conference took place on 15–16 December 2022 in Yiwu, Zhejiang, China.

The founding network connected agricultural communities across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas around cooperation, practical knowledge and farmer livelihoods.

The figures above describe land use, work and primary production. Agricultural land includes permanent pasture as well as arable land and permanent crops. Employment covers agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing and uses a modeled ILO estimate.

The land-use figure is from 2024; employment and value added are from 2025. Each percentage has a different denominator: land area, total employment or GDP. Value added deducts intermediate inputs from output; it is a share of the economy, rather than a growth rate or measure of farm income.

Food manufacturing, distribution and retail can create additional work and value outside the agriculture category. Following those activities helps explain how primary production connects with the wider food economy.

Iran’s land, employment and value-added figures place resource use alongside the economic contribution of agriculture. For a local adaptation discussion, a useful first step is to map the season: when water and labour are needed, when inputs must be paid for, and when a harvest reaches a buyer. This makes the costs and timing of a change easier to assess.

A different crop calendar, diversification or new technique needs to fit the place. Local trials can compare labour, inputs and production outcomes while leaving room for farmer knowledge. Decisions should use observed conditions and relevant local information; the national percentages do not provide a weather forecast or a farm-level investment case.

The linked World Bank country profile brings together economic, social and environmental information. Read the historical series alongside recent experience from farmers, producer organizations, researchers and public agencies. Together, they can help define the resources, skills, costs and market requirements behind a local agricultural decision.