Amman: Participants in the World Food Forum, organized by the Jordanian Olive Oil Women's Network under the theme "Transformation Paths in Food Systems: Empowering Women and Promoting Entrepreneurship," have emphasized the need to enhance the empowerment of rural women in the olive sector. They called for the development of integrated marketing, health, and educational policies to ensure the sector's sustainability and its contribution to food security.
According to Jordan News Agency, the forum was held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bint Ali and featured significant official and Arab participation. Key figures included Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khreisat; Raed Fayez Hattar, Head of the Regional Office of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development for the Arab East Countries; and Iman Traboulsi, representative of the International Olive Council. Representatives from the Arab Women's Olive Oil Network in Palestine, Syria, and Algeria also attended.
Khreisat highlighted the olive tree as a national symbol of resilience and giving, deeply rooted in Jordan's identity and heritage. He affirmed the Ministry of Agriculture's commitment to empowering women in the agricultural sector by facilitating their access to markets and financing opportunities.
Hattar stressed the strategic importance of supporting Arab women in the olive oil sector to achieve sustainable development in the region. He praised the efforts of the Jordanian and Arab Women's Olive Oil Networks in promoting agricultural cooperation and strengthening economic participation.
Network President Nihaya Muhaisen announced a strategic partnership agreement with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development. This agreement aims to organize and coordinate the work of the Arab Women's Olive Oil Network in ten Arab countries, enhancing cooperation and knowledge exchange in production, processing, and marketing.
Economic Expert and Founding Member of the Jordanian Women's Olive Oil Network Masnat Hayari presented the forum's final recommendations. She emphasized the need for transformative approaches in food systems and the economic and social empowerment of women within a sustainable framework.
The recommendations advocated for a unified marketing strategy for extra virgin olive oil at local and international levels, linking marketing to quality and cultural heritage. They also called for engaging the Ministry of Health and national medical centers in public awareness campaigns on the health benefits of olive oil.
Further recommendations included incorporating olive-related topics into school curricula, supporting research on the preventive and therapeutic properties of olive oil, and developing agricultural adaptation programs to address climate change. They also encouraged modern irrigation techniques, the adoption of national packaging standards, environmentally friendly materials, and strengthened oversight to combat commercial fraud. Supporting women's cooperatives and production clusters to enhance entrepreneurship and rural empowerment was also emphasized.
Hayari stressed that these recommendations represent a roadmap to elevate the global status of Jordanian and Arab olive oil while advancing economic and social justice for women in agriculture. She noted that investing in women's empowerment is an investment in food sustainability and economic security for future generations.