Jordan and the World Bank Tuesday signed the Loan Agreement for the Agriculture Resilience, Value Chain Development and Innovation (ARDI or “My Land”) Programme for Results on the sidelines of the World Bank Annual Meetings.
The US$125 Million Programme, approved by the Bank on September 29, aims to strengthen the development of Jordan’s agriculture sector by enhancing its climate resilience, increasing competitiveness and inclusion and ensuring medium- to long-term food security in line with Jordan’s National Sustainable Agriculture Plan and Vision for Economic Modernisation.
From 2022 to 2027, the programme will provide some 30,000 farming households with financing to adopt climate-smart and water-efficient agriculture practices, provide needs-based training, and generate about 12,000 job opportunities, focusing on Jordanian women and youth, the statement added. The programme will create economic opportunities for Syrian refugees.
Agriculture accounts for approximately 20% of merchandise exports, yet only about half of the export potential for fruits and vegetables was achieved.
Climate change significantly worsens water scarcity and increases drought risks, affecting agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.
A set of structural factors, such as the loss of key transport routes through Syria and lack of investment in supply chain infrastructure led to declines in competitiveness in local markets and exports.
Jordan’s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh said, “The ARDI programme supports key pillars of the National Sustainable Agriculture Plan and Jordan’s Economic Vision 2033. It combines policy reform with significant investments on the ground and highlights Jordan’s commitment to creating the enabling environment to transform the agriculture sector and realise its full growth potential.
“The program further supports achieving a set of cornerstone results, under the National Plan for Sustainable Agriculture umbrella, to establish an adequate enabling policy and investment environment for private sector-led growth in the agriculture sector.”
The ARDI programme is aimed at addressing critical challenges facing the sector along two pillars: “Climate Resilience and Sustainability” and “Competitiveness and Exports.”
“Investing in agricultural production and value chains can help serve a growing local market and contribute to food security,” said Jean-Christophe Carret, Mashreq Regional Director, World Bank.
Carret added, “The ARDI Programme will invest in building the skills and knowledge of women, youth and refugees to increase their employability and support the transition to formal employment.”
The Ministry of Agriculture, the National Agriculture Research Centre and the Agriculture Credit Corporation will implement the programme under a whole-of-government approach, involving other relevant line ministries and agencies.
The ARDI Programme is financed through a US$95.6 million contribution from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), a US$23.9 million grant from the Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) and a US$5.5 million grant from the Partnership for Improving Prospects for Forcibly Displaced Persons and Host Communities (PROSPECTS), supported by the Netherlands.
Source: Jordan News Agency