Jordan Achieves Significant Advancements In Food Security, Agricultural Value Despite Water Scarcity

Amman, May 24 (Petra) – Jordan has made major advancements in expanding food availability and increasing the added value of its agricultural production despite severe water resource limitations, marking key achievements in the sector since independence.

The Ministry of Agriculture reported that Jordan reached a self-sufficiency rate of 61.4 percent across all food groups in 2024. The Kingdom recorded production levels that exceed domestic demand for fresh vegetables and table eggs, demonstrating substantial progress in national food availability.

The Ministry noted that the added value of agricultural production has risen to 2.4 billion dinars, reflecting a growth rate of 7.4 percent. Vegetable production reached 1.8 million tons and fruit production climbed to 549,000 tons, diversifying varieties to fulfill both domestic and export markets. Concurrently, Jordanian agricultural exports reached 112 countries, totaling 1.68 billion dinars in 2025.

To institutionalize these efforts, Jordan established the Food Security Council in 2023. This body was upgraded by a cabinet decision on June 28, 2025, to become the Supreme Council for Food Security, chaired by the Prime Minister with the Minister of Agriculture serving as vice-chair. Furthermore, the state launched a National Food Security Information Management System on October 28, 2024, operating as a unified platform tracking 33 national and international indicators. The Ministry also introduced its first National Food Security Strategy 2021–2030, alongside dedicated action plans and a national food waste index, which established a baseline to reduce household food waste – currently estimated at 950,000 tons annually – by 30 percent by 2033.

These strategic initiatives improved Jordan's standing on the Global Hunger Index for 2025, where the Kingdom's rank rose to 54th out of 123 countries as its index score dropped from 12.0 to 10.3 points. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025 report, the prevalence of undernourishment in Jordan decreased from 17.9 percent to 14.3 percent. Additionally, the proportion of the population unable to afford a healthy diet fell from 11.5 percent to 10.7 percent, decreasing the estimated number of individuals in this category from 1.3 million to 1.2 million.

In the livestock sector, exports of live sheep and goats reached 1.35 million heads, valued at 245 million dinars. Total livestock count reached 3.8 million heads, providing income for rural and Badia communities and generating animal products valued at 1.305 billion dinars. The total agricultural workforce also expanded to 261,000 workers. To back this growth, the Agricultural Credit Corporation raised its capital to 100 million dinars, allocating over 65 million dinars in annual agricultural loans. This financial inclusion helped maintain self-sufficiency in core vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, zucchini, and eggplants; fruits such as apricots and olives; and animal products including goat meat, fresh milk, table eggs, and 79 percent of poultry meat.

The Ministry's strategy for agro-industries focuses on three pillars. The first is an agricultural industrial complex in the Southern Ghor spanning 135 dunams, where two factories with five production lines are 90 percent complete, drawing an expected private investment of 8 million dinars. The second pillar involves incentivizing agro-industries in industrial estates by covering hangar rents for five years, resulting in 15 signed agreements and an expected 14 million dinars in investment. The third pillar provides concessionary loans with a 2 percent interest rate and a funding ceiling of 500,000 dinars per company.

To integrate modern agricultural technology, the Ministry established six training centers that trained 6,000 unemployed individuals and agricultural engineers, alongside two entrepreneurship centers in Al-Mujib and Al-Tannour focusing on smart farming for 400 engineers. Interest-free loan packages were provided, and 15 million dinars was allocated between 2024 and 2030 to expand the use of advanced agritech.

Regionally, Jordan hosted the Regional Forum for Accelerating Food Systems Transformation in the Arab Region in October 2024, which concluded with the "Amman Declaration" to build sustainable regional food systems. The state also launched the pilot phase of the Regional Food Security and Nutrition Observatory for the Mashreq countries in cooperation with the FAO, involving Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. Globally, Jordan chaired the International Olive Council and the Executive Bureau of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, while working to host regional offices for ACSAD and the CIHEAM Bari Institute.

Key projects launched by the Ministry include offering 36,000 dunams for investment in the Hammad and Sirhan basins, partnering with the private sector to invest in 11 agricultural stations, and establishing a bio-secure zone to increase live animal trade. Additional milestones include operating the National Seed Bank, launching the Jordan-Palestine Agricultural Products Marketing Company, and opening 12,000-square-meter permanent rural product exhibitions in Amman and Irbid.

//Petra// AA

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