Implementing community level hydroponic and postharvest Systems
Social inclusion and community development are integral for achieving a desired change. While Jordan is a small, relatively stable country, it has become a refuge destination for large numbers of people fleeing conflict in Syria. The inflows had raised Jordan’s population to 9.95 million by 2018, placing heavy strains on its services, food security and economy. Developing community and household efficient farming packages or kits will improve self sufficiency, increase household income and enhance community livelihoods.
HAED-Jo works with local partners to introduce alternative but efficient and viable solutions for community integration. The project aims to address the needs and vulnerabilities of Jordanian communities, and Syrian refugees affected by the protracted Syria crisis. We seek to enable and encourage the adoption of hydroponic and post-harvest systems by communities and support the establishment of market linkages within the horticulture value chain. Furthermore, to foster a holistic approach to our implementation, we have engaged women and youth to be trained on the various entrepreneurial skills in order to be utilized within the aggro-business supply chain while increasing their income and making them more prosperous and less vulnerable.
To initiate the activity, HAED-Jo designed a questionnaire for screening and shortlisting Community Based Organizations (CBO) within host communities, based on a pre-set criterion and provided consultations with national and international NGOs. HAED-Jo short-listed potential CBOs with access to Syrian refugees and who are in the agricultural sector. Thereafter, a viable partnership model was set with clear roles and responsibilities.
To date, HAED-JO has supported 8 local community-based organizations (CBOs) in developing 29 low tunnel greenhouses with various crops such as thyme, green onions, cucumbers, lettuce, green beans, broccoli and red-cabbage. The CBOs are located in three key governorates including Irbid, Mafraq and Azraq and consist of a variety of segments including, women led organizations, youth, and agriculture charity organizations. As a result of this support, 286 new employment opportunities were created with 44% of them belonging to women and 50% belonging to Syrian refugees. In addition, HAED-Jo has enhanced the livelihoods and income for 452 individuals, of those 67% are women.
The project also facilitated a partnership between a CBO, Janat Al-Ordun and the Hashemite University to jointly manage five hydroponic greenhouses constructed on campus. These greenhouses will be built to provide professors and students access to a hydroponic demonstration site for training and research while the CBO secures a consistent market and supplies for local restaurants and shops.
Furthermore, HAED-Jo signed an agreement with a consortium of five CBOs located in Madaba. The partnership includes developing 15 new greenhouses with efficient and hydroponic farming solutions to upgrade the productivity of the communities' farming, provide new job opportunities to locals and Syrian refugees and support the establishment of market linkages within the horticulture value chain.