Amman, 16 December 2024 – The Ministry of Agriculture in Jordan, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), launched a Joint SDG Fund-funded Joint Programme (JP) on Transforming Jordan's agrifood system towards greater sustainability and resilience. The Joint SDG Fund’s approach is catalytic, aiming to leverage systemic change through integrated economic, social and environmental policy and strategic investments, that can attract public and private financing to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

The JP focuses on developing the capacity of the Government of Jordan to operationalize systems-based programs and improve the sustainability performance and resilience of the agri-food system in Jordan in light of key challenges, including threats of climate change, food insecurity, and considering the urgent need for inclusion of women, youth and refugees.

Notably, the JP is closely aligned with existing high-level plans at the national level, the National Food Security Strategy and Action Plans, in particular, as well as Jordan’s Food Systems Pathway and forthcoming Food Systems Transformation Roadmap. The JP is directed by these strategies and will help move them towards concrete implementation with measurable impacts.

Between now and August 2025, the JP will evaluate the current agrifood systems context, as well as implementation of the National Food Security Strategy Action Plan, to identify entry points (value chains, business models, or market systems) with potential for upgrading that also address climate resilience and inclusion of vulnerable groups. The JP will develop upgrading strategies for three selected entry points, each with clear a vision, action plan, investment plan and financing solution, as well as monitoring frameworks linked to a national system that oversees the performance and impacts of food systems transformation. A multi-stakeholder collaborative approach will be adopted throughout, including training and experiential learning elements to develop institutional capacity among key stakeholders in close collaboration with the Food Security Council.

The Minister of Agriculture, Khaled Hneifat, stressed the need to shift towards a more sustainable and resilient agri-food system to ensure food security and enhance the ability to face the growing regional challenges considering the limited natural resources, especially water, and the increasing effects of climate change. He added that Jordan has made intensive efforts and taken many steps and measures to provide sufficient food for the population by launching the first National Food Security Strategy 2021-2030 and its action plan, in addition to adopting paths to transform food systems into more efficient and sustainable systems.

“This Joint Programme builds on FAO’s stakeholders and enhance capacity, encourage knowledge and experience exchange among stakeholders, and promote policy and effective actions towards development of a sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood system in Jordan,” explained Nabil Assaf, FAO Representative in Jordan. “We are pleased to collaborate with UNIDO on this joint programme, with the Ministry of Agriculture, and with full engagement of the Food Security Council”. 

Sulafa Mdanat, UNIDO country representative in Jordan, confirms: “UNIDO’s intervention will focus on leveraging the power of value addition brought by food processing, in transforming food systems outcomes towards achieving their full potential. We are keen to support the Government of Jordan in this journey, and FAO remains a natural partner in this regard”.

The JP adopts the methodology of the Agrifood Systems Transformation Accelerator (ASTA), a joint UNIDO-FAO global program dedicated to the creation of system-based solutions – solutions created within the agrifood system that are self-sustaining, adaptive, and resilient. 

For more information please contact:
Rana Fakhoury
ASTA Lead, Industrial Development Officer