Syria: agriculture in context.

Syria 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 from 2025 and value added from 2022. These figures do not form a same-year comparison. 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.

Syria’s agricultural-land figure includes arable land, permanent crops and permanent pasture. That broad resource category does not show soil condition, water availability or the working arrangements on a particular farm. A local agricultural discussion needs to consider those features alongside the services and market connections that production depends on.

The employment and value-added observations have different dates, with the GDP share referring to 2022. Recent information from producers and relevant institutions is needed to understand present decisions. A useful assessment keeps the reporting years visible and builds a practical picture of resources, costs and access around the place being discussed.

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.