AMMAN: The Kuwaiti International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) and the Jordanian Arab Society for the Protection of Nature launched on Monday the second phase of a project for economic empowerment, enhancing food and water security in Jordan Valley through implementing sustainable agricultural projects at a cost of $500,000.

The project, which was launched in the presence of the representative of the Kuwaiti Embassy in Jordan, Counselor Nasser Al-Mutairi, targets 600 agricultural families in the northern, central, and southern Jordan Valley regions by providing them with a total of 25,000 fruit trees and 5,000 kilograms of vegetable seeds. The project works to extend irrigation networks over an area of 375,000 square meters of agricultural land and construct and rehabilitate 50 agricultural ponds.

Secretary General of the Jordanian Ministry of Social Development, Barq Al-Damour, stressed in a speech he delivered during the ceremony the importance of the economic empowerment, food, and water security project that targets farmers in the Jordan Valley regions. Al-Damour explained that the project’s desired goals are to increase the productive green area, improve water resources, reduce water loss, enhance economic empowerment, enhance food security, improve management of surplus agricultural products and raise their economic value, combat climate change, raise community awareness about the importance of agriculture, and volunteer.

He pointed out that Jordan seeks to be a provider of food to the region due to its central geographical location and its successful experience in providing food. In turn, the Director of the International Islamic Charitable Organization office in Jordan, Mustafa Al-Awad, said in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the organization is working on the project with enthusiasm as a result of the success achieved in the first phase of the project, noting that the funding for the second phase amounted to $500,000.

Awad pointed out that the second phase of the project focuses on supporting small farmers in the Jordan Valley, stressing that investing in these farmers is an investment in the future of agriculture and food security in Jordan and a step towards achieving sustainable economic development. He added that the project aims to enhance the capabilities of farmers and provide them with the necessary resources to increase their production and improve their standard of living.

For her part, Razan Zuaiter, head of the Arab Society for the Protection of Nature, confirmed in a similar statement that food systems in the developing world do not support small farmers, which exacerbates the challenge of food sovereignty. Zuaiter added that the project contributes to creating more job opportunities for residents of the targeted areas, increasing the productive agricultural area, working to benefit from the surplus agricultural production, and enhancing water resource management. — KUNA