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Environment and Ecosystem

Jordan is located in the middle east, and half of its land is desert. Jordan has a mediterranean climate with incredibly dry summers. The eastern area of the country is incredibly dry, which is why most agriculture takes place in the west either in the highlands or the Jordan Valley. The highlands produce olives, fruits, nuts and cereals but are reliant on rainwater and groundwater. Herding and livestock keeping occur in the semi desert ecosystems in Jordan. The Jordan Valley and the Ghors of Karak are the highest producing areas in the country. The land there is irrigated mostly by projects sponsored by the government. Like many other countries in the MENA region, farms are not very large and land ownership is fragmented. Farms in the Jordan valley were distributed in sizes between 3 and 4 HA. On average farms are 4.2 HA in Jordan with the smallest farms located on the highlands.

Challenges

Water shortage and lack of arable land drastically hinder Jordan's agriculture production. Jordan is cited as one of the driest countries in the world, with only 0.94 cu km of renewable water resources available per year. Therefore the total amount of arable land available is very small, only 2.4%. Lack of water resources in Jordan is further exacerbated by drought which is a common natural disaster in the Middle East. In 1999 an especially bad drought in Jordan decreased the amount of available water by 70% resulting in the lowest cereal harvest in over forty years. Droughts are a cyclic challenge in Jordan, and they have increased in magnitude and destruction since 1998. Calculations show that with the current rate of population growth and resource demand Jordan will have entered an absolute water shortage by the year 2025. Currently, the rate of population growth in Jordan is 3.86% which makes Jordan the fourth fastest growing country in the world. Jordan's location in a volatile section of the world adds to population growth as refugees come to Jordan from Iraq and Syria in significant numbers. Sustainable water and land management is therefore key to the future of Jordan. At this time most of the major environmental issues in Jordan: drought, soil erosion, desertification and overgrazing are all deeply tied to agricultural practices.

Olive trees such as these were incredibly vulnerable to the 1999 drought.

Economics

The kingdom of Jordan made large economic changes starting in 1989 with the help from the international community. The agriculture sector which traditionally was heavily subsidized was reformed seriously at this time. During these reforms agricultural subsidies were completely removed from the Jordanian economy resulting in a lack of support for rural people. Agriculture has been a declining part of Jordan's GNP since 1975, and in the 1990's stabilized at around 5% of the GNP. However, 25-30% of economic activity in the country is dependent on agriculture. Jordan is a net importer of food due to its lack of resources. In addition to constraints on economic productivity due to lack of land and water, the agriculture sector also lacks useful infrastructure such as cold storage facilities and increased transportation options for farmers for post harvest goods. The biggest products in Jordan are tomatoes, melons, olives, wheat, and barley. The climate is an advantageous natural feature in Jordan and allows for two tomato harvests per year. The GOJ has supported growth in international export by provisioning more water for irrigation and focusing on research and development.

Rural Poverty

In Jordan farmers, herders, and laborers are among the poorest and the most susceptible to natural disaster and climate change. The populations most effected by drought and variable crop production are the rural poor, especially women. Due to lack of resources, many rural people do not have a steady source of income. Recent economic reforms have put continued stress on the herding population and have forced many herders out of business as the cost of non subsidized feed becomes too high.

Desertification

Due to the lack of water available for agriculture in Jordan, desertification occurs rapidly.

Woman in Agriculture

Recent efforts by international development organizations and the government of Jordan have attempted to encourage and support woman in agricultural fields. Landless, unmarried or divorced women are among the most socially and economically vulnerable groups in Jordan. While many extension and education services attempt to help rural women it can still be difficult for these women to obtain equal access to these services. Many times obtaining these service requires travel and time that rural women do not have.

Agricultural Research and Institutions

History

Agriculture research and extension in Jordan began in the early 1950's with the creation of a research station in the Jordan Valley. The National Center for Agriculture Research and Technology transfer was established in the 1980's by the Ministry of Agriculture. The government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has funneled significant energy and funds into agriculture extension, the process of introducing technology and research to farmers and educating them.

Agriculture Research Institutions

• National Center for Agriculture Research and Extension (NCARE): NCARE is a semi autonomous institution that receives most of its funding from the Jordanian government. The main headquarters for NCARE is located in Amman, with seven other regional centers located in Dair Alla, Ramtha, Mafraq, Mshaggar, Rabba, Tafilleh, and Shobbak. The main goals of NCARE are to plan sustainable development initiatives, support extension workers and researches, and generally adopt agriculture that is technologically and ecologically beneficial. There are a variety of research labs and institutions operating under the umbrella of NCARE including the Bee Research Lab. The research done by NCARE attempts to find technological solutions and increase quantity and quality of produce. Recently emphasis has been placed on finding solutions to the water crisis. These projects include fertigation, water recycling, and developing more drought resistance crops.
• National Centre for Research & Development (NCRD): A branch of the Higher Council for Science and Technology opened in 2010, and devoted to research and development in science and technology related fields. The NCRD houses the Water and Food Research Programme which works to develop sustainable water and land management for agriculture in Jordan. WFRP works on a variety of projects focusing on water use and stimulation of rural economies.
• Royal Scientific Societyis an NGO established in 1970 that is currently the largest applied research institution in Jordan. The RSS is a widespread presence in Jordan and has recently reached acclaim in the international community as the scientific hub of Jordan.

Government Institutions

• The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) is a government organization dedicated to agriculture in Jordan. MOA was founded in 1939 and began providing extension services in 1954. The ministry publishes a yearly report on the agricultural productivity in the country as well as monthly reports. The MOA keeps track of how much produce is imported and exported each year, the percent of the workforce employed in agriculture, number of private plots, and other numerical data.
• The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation coordinates with international development projects such as IFAD.

Educational Institutions

• Vocational agriculture education is available as an option for students over the age of 14 in most Jordanian schools. These schools offer education in landscaping, small farm management, production of poultry, greenhouse management, bee keeping, livestock management and many other skills needed for a job in agriculture. Many of these vocational programs are geared especially towards rural women in an attempt to combat rural poverty.
• Jordan University of Science and Technology offers undergraduate degrees in different agriculture skills including plant production, nutrition, and animal management

Foreign Aid

Jordan has historically relied on large amounts of foreign aid and technical assistance especially with their water management sector. Since it's first involvement in Jordan in 1981 IFAD has led 7 diverse agriculture projects and invested approximately 189.5 million dollars into Jordanian development. Projects financed by IFAD focus on rain water management, economic diversification, and community partnership.

Current Projects

• USAID is currently working with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation to provide sustainable water management to rural farmers in Jordan. Water scarcity is the most pressing environmental concern in Jordan. With 60% of water going towards irrigation, Jordanians are looking for ways to maximize crop production under drought conditions.
• IFAD (the International Fund for Agriculture and Development) is the major external funder for agriculture related development. IFAD has worked on financing for small farmers, livestock and fishery management, agriculture development and many other projects. The Agricultural Research Management Program (ARMP) was established by IFAD in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1995. The project focused on development for small farmers with low incomes with priority given to women headed households. ARMP provided credit to these families as well as soil and water conservation techniques.