Queen Rania To Help Jordanian Farmers Go Organic

Stylish and modern, the Kuwait-born Queen Rania of Jordan is helping Jordanian farmers go organic, reports the Jordan Times.

Known for her humanitarian work on women’s rights, she is now launching a national program for organic farmers. 

The plan is to convert up to 5% of Jordanian farms by 2014. She is also working to raise awareness of farmers and the public on organic production and its benefits: on health, environment and socio-economic systems.

“We are on the right track to embedding and expanding organic farming throughout Jordan,” Queen Rania said at the program launch, which included over 300 farmers.

 She also noted that with Jordan facing major water shortages, like Israel, and Syria, going organic suits Jordan’s climactic conditions. 

Considered one of the world’s most water poor countries, this ambitious new project will be carried out by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD). Fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, aromatic herbs and medicinal plants, animal and fish production, and food manufacturing will be on the plate. 

Due to lack of infrastructure and policies, the shift won’t be easy. Higher pricing will also dissuade the relatively poorer people in the community. But it will increase revenues of farms, over all. A good thing to help grow Jordan’s economy.

I am quite sure Israeli farmers and policy makers will be quite willing to lend their expertise and advice, and it is likely that the two countries are already working together on some level to improve Jordan’s organic know-how.  We know that students at the Arava Institute are studying together.

::Jordan Times [image via Middle East Youth]

More about Queen Rania, and her early organic work starting in 2004, on her website here.

More on Jordan’s environment:
Eco Tourism in Jordan
Jordan and Israel Studies Water Together at the Arava Institute
The End of an Oasis in Jordan