Alreef-Mushroom

The Iraqi market is reliant on imported agricultural and food goods, leading to a shortage of fresh, local, and organic products. The market lacks sufficient local producers who can meet the rising demand for healthier, eco-friendly products.

Alreef Mushroom provides 100 percent organic, locally-produced mushrooms using innovative, eco-friendly farming techniques, such as vertical farming and air humidification systems. The process involves recycling organic waste into compost for mushroom production in closed agricultural incubators resistant to external conditions. This sustainable approach conserves water, ensures reliable, year-round production and offers a variety of high-quality, fresh mushrooms not commonly found in the local Iraqi market. The remaining compost is converted into organic fertilizer for local farmers.

During their first sprint, Alreef successfully built a new composting facility to enable local compost production. The initiative trained 40 farmers and 10 students in growing mushrooms at home and supported them in connecting with local markets. Overall, the project reached 362 people, led to the creation of five new jobs and an increase of 30 percent in income. Alreef is now setting up the first local composting facility for mushrooms in Iraq, to ensure the venture sustainability in the long run.