Harvesting success: The lasting impact of JordanHortiFuture on smallholder farmers

The Jordanian agriculture sector faces significant challenges, including water scarcity, climate change, and increased pressure on natural resources due to an influx of refugees. Smallholder horticultural farmers, who are vital for fruit and vegetable production and food security, often lack the necessary knowledge, resources, and technology to adapt and compete effectively.

By adopting a multi-level and multi-stakeholder approach to address issues and challenges currently faced by smallholder farmers and other actors in the horticulture sector, both at individual and organisational levels, the programme aimed to improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods and resilience, and to enhance and contribute to the efficiency, profitability, entrepreneurship, sustainability and resilience of the Jordanian horticulture sector as a whole.

The success came from collaboration: farmers, businesses, government agencies and researchers all worked together. The collective efforts made a difference for thousands of farmers and professionals, and laid foundations for transition processes towards a more resilient and sustainable future for Jordan.

Empowering farmers through training

With the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training, more than 5,000 farmers took part and gained skills in farm management, irrigation, pest control, record keeping and financial literacy. To support an enabling environment, the programme also addressed systemic challenges such as cooperative development, access to finance, and sector-wide policy. By working with partners like the Jordan Cooperative Corporation and the Agricultural Credit Corporation, farmers and cooperatives were better equipped to organize, access credit, and invest in innovations. Through close collaboration with the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), the programme strengthened applied research and knowledge exchange, ensuring that new insights and technologies reached the farmers who needed them most.

Mrs Suha Al-Bitar, agricultural advisor of the Dutch Embassy: "We hope this programme will be a model to be followed and that we will see more initiatives that contribute to enhancing the agricultural sector in Jordan and achieving comprehensive development."

Embracing innovation

JordanHortiFuture also embraced digital innovation. The Jordan Pesticide Guide (JPG) mobile application was developed with the Ministry of Agriculture. It helps farmers make informed choices about pesticide use, which reduces risks to health and the environment. With the Ministry overseeing the tool, its benefits will continue.

Sustainability and innovation were key priorities. The Nature-Inclusive Agriculture (NIA) Working Group, bringing together experts from across the sector to explore the opportunities and potential for Nature Inclusive Agriculture in Jordan, explored ways to integrate nature-based solutions into farming. Their efforts led to a White Paper with actionable recommendations to advance sustainable and resilient agricultural practices in Jordan. The programme also contributed to post-harvest innovation, by introducing the Coolbot™ cooling technology, demonstrating the potential of affordable solutions for smallholder farmers to reduce post-harvest losses, improve the quality of their produce, and enhance market competitiveness.

Bridging Research and Practice

Training sessions and joint research projects helped ensure farmers received the latest agricultural knowledge. A new research initiative focused on soil health in the Jordan Valley will continue beyond the programme’s official end.

Reflecting on the programme’s journey, Edwin van der Maden, JordanHortiFuture’s Programme Manager, highlighted the power of partnerships. “The success of JordanHortiFuture highlights that collaboration is essential to achieve impact and result, especially given the great global challenges ahead of us. The relationships established and the knowledge shared will hopefully continue to shape Jordan’s horticulture sector for years to come, whereby the seeds planted will continue to grow, flourish and reap fruits in support of the resilience and sustainability of Jordan’s horticulture sector.”

Although JordanHortiFuture has officially ended, its impact will endure. Its initiatives will be integrated into national agricultural strategies. Ongoing partnerships will support further progress. The programme has not only strengthened Jordan’s horticulture sector but has also set an example of how collaboration and innovation can drive change.