@FAO launch of FFS guidance in Jordan

Amman 22 November 2016 - The Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) launched the new Farmer Field School (FFS) Guidelines in Jordan, in cooperation with the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE).

The launch was attended by Mr. Fawzi Al-Sheyyab, the director of NCARE who was representing the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture, and Mr. Nasredine Hag Elamin, FAO country representative in Jordan, former Agriculture ministers and other officials, including farmers and other beneficiaries from the FFS programme.

Mr. Al-Sheyyab said that Jordan was a pioneer in the Field farmer Schools since 2004, and that 153 FFS were established in different regions, training more than 2,000 farmers (20% of them are female farmers). He noted the importance of the project at the economic and nutritious levels, thanking FAO for their continuous support.

As for FAO country representative Nasredin Hag Elamine, he spoke about FAO three regional initiatives and their implementation in Jordan, noting that FAO has always enjoyed a very strong relationship with the ministry of agriculture, and they are collaborating at the research and operational levels for the benefit of the agricultural sector and farmers throughout the country.

FAO Farmer Field Schools (FFS) Regional Coordinator for the Near East and North Africa, Mr. Alfredo Impiglia launched the new “FFS Guidance document: Planning for Quality Programme”, which was tailor-made to respond to the Jordanian context, hoping to duplicate it for the benefit of other countries in the region.

Mr. Ashraf Saber Al-Hawamdeh, from the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE) went through the history and achievements of FFS in Jordan, speaking about the tangible steps taken by NCARE at policy levels to ensure its sustainability.

The event was concluded by an open dialogue with farmers and beneficiaries of the project who shared their testimonials and futuristic ideas.