Amman: The Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched on Wednesday a project to enhance food security and resilience of host communities and Syrian refugees in Jordan through agri-food production chains.
Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat, in the presence of Italian Ambassador to Jordan Luciano Pizzuti, said that the project supports the efforts of individuals and associations to enhance the resilience of local communities and empower them in the governorates and remote areas.
He commended the FAO’s efforts and cooperation to promote the agricultural sector, praising the cooperation and partnership with Italy and its role in supporting development projects for the sector.
Hneifat added, “The protracted regional and global crises, including refugees and their impact on production and supply chains, in addition to the climate crisis, made us in need of cooperation and partnership in developing the tools of the agricultural sector and empowering
it through rationalization, water harvesting, and modern technologies to reach the optimal exploitation of opportunities to achieve food security.”
For his part, the Italian Ambassador emphasized that the project directly addresses the critical food security and livelihood challenges faced by Syrian refugees and Jordanian host communities by promoting self-reliance and sustainable agri-food production systems.
The project aims to empower these vulnerable populations and contribute to the long-term development of Jordan, he noted.
FAO representative in Jordan Nabil Assaf said, “This project comes in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, such as the first goal of ending poverty, the second goal of ending hunger, and the fifth of Gender Equality, in addition to the tenth goal of reducing inequality.”
“It is also in line with the Economic Modernization Vision 2033 and supports the objectives outlined in key national strategies such as the National Strategy for Agricultural Development 2020-2025, the Na
tional Plan for Sustainable Agriculture 2022-2025, and the National Food Security Strategy 2021-2030,” he added.
Funded by the Italian government through the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation, the project aims to improve the efficiency of the value chain of agricultural products and food commodities, leading to enhanced food security and livelihoods for 200 families in host communities and Syrian refugees in Balqa, Jerash and Ajloun.
The project specifically targets the needs of Syrian refugees and beneficiaries from Jordanian host communities, and promotes self-reliance by providing them with the knowledge and business skills needed to produce agri-food in addition to providing training on transformative techniques in production and market needs assessment.
Source: Jordan News Agency