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Economic Development

Modernizing Agriculture for Food Security

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Pillar Objectives

There is enormous potential for developing the agricultural sector through improved soil fertility, diversification into higher value added crops, more efficient use of irrigation and desalinated water, and developing infrastructure for storage and agro-processing. Improving the  productivity of Libya’s agricultural sector will require directing production towards high-yield revenue crops that optimize water use while resolving complex issues that include access to and use of land.

Next Objective:

Managing Natural Resources Equitably, Sustainably, and Transparently

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Transformation Projects for Modernizing Agriculture for Food Security

Transformation Project Profile

Previous government intervention has led to underutilization of water and land resources and discouraged private investment in commercial agriculture and irrigation technologies. Processing and storage infrastructure are insufficient to enable domestic processing for national consumption and export to regional and international markets. For this reason, local agricultural supply is unable to meet domestic demand and exports are low.


Transformation Project Objective

  • Develop a strategic plan for agricultural development
  • Improve Libyan food security and reduce reliance on imports
  • Provide employment in rural areas to reduce regional tensions and urbanization
  • Develop an export market for Libyan agricultural products

Transformation Project Profile

Libyan agriculture relies on irrigation from rapidly depleting, non-renewable water sources. Integrated watershed management programs can build community-level capacity to manage water resources to improve agricultural production and productivity. By increasing agricultural productivity, more effective watershed management can generate employment opportunities and increase household incomes in agricultural communities.

Transformation Project Objective

  • Increase water supply for agriculture through irrigation system rehabilitation and construction, water storage enhancements, and watershed conservation
  • Improve the use of rainwater harvesting for agriculture
  • Increase agriculture productivity and crop diversification to improve rural livelihoods
  • Control chemical and other applications to agricultural lands which have the potential to leach into and contaminate watersheds

Transformation Project Profile

Libya requires an updated agricultural extension policy and system to enhance food security, increase agricultural productivity, ignite rural development, and conserve natural resources. A stronger, coordinated support system for agricultural development which includes educational institutions, farmer organizations, agricultural credit organizations, and research centers is needed to move towards sustainable agricultural development.

Transformation Project Objective
  • Optimize the level of decentralization and cooperation between institutions in the extension system for efficient, localized extension delivery
  • Strengthen organizations which provide training to farmers
  • Expand financial services for farmers to adopt modern technologies
  • More closely align national agricultural research with extension services

Transformation Project Profile

Credit availability influences farm-level decision about crop choice and farming methods that have a significant impact on the country’s ability to meet its food needs. Libyan farmers frequently point towards lack of credit for purchasing supplies and adopting more modern technologies as a barrier to agricultural development. Farmers require more access to growth-enhancing credit through specialized financing programs.

Transformation Project Objective
  • Establish a national program to increase access to credit to fund the adoption of new technologies that can increase agricultural production
  • Ensure the credit offerings and loan requirements of the Agricultural Bank of Libya are aligned with farmer needs
  • More effectively integrate credit providers into the agricultural extension system
  • Enable improvements in agricultural practice that support more sustainable farming and better yields

Transformation Project Profile

Libya currently relies primarily on the Man-Made River for most of its water supply. However, the use of this non-renewable groundwater source limits Libya’s ability to meet growing demand. Current plans to build desalination plants can be fast-tracked, and options for involving the private sector to ensure faster delivery can be explored.

Transformation Project Objective
  • Meet the growing demand for water resources
  • Achieve long-term water security by diversifying water supply sources
  • Maintain non-renewable sources of water for future generations

Transformation Project Profile

Domestic agricultural production and crop diversity are essential for food security. However, agricultural water demand consumes close to 85% of the water supply. Crop water productivity can be enhanced through demand water management methods such as the removal of subsidies on environmentally taxing crops and better crop selection. Initial savings could be invested into retraining farmers, improving seed varieties, and programs to introduce water-saving equipment upgrades.

Transformation Project Objective
  • Reduce and gradually remove subsidies for environmentally taxing crops to encourage a shift towards more environmentally sustainable crop varieties
  • Introduce more targeted subsidies for crop varieties that can offset imports