FAO Director-General meets His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan

Amman - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu today met His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan at the Basman Palace on the first of his two-day visit to the country.

The meeting covered means of bolstering cooperation between Jordan and FAO, especially in supporting agricultural enterprises and addressing food security and climate change challenges.

King Abdullah expressed appreciation for the support that Jordan receives from FAO in developing the national food security strategy.

His Majesty called for stepping up regional and international efforts, as well as close coordination, to counter the impact of global crises on food security and other challenges.

Director-General Qu spoke about FAO's programs in Jordan, the main one of which is supporting the Kingdom's national food security strategy to strengthen food supply and storage, ensuring sustainable development.

Meeting with Minister for Agriculture

Qu also had a bilateral meeting with Jordan's Agriculture Minister, Khalid Al- Hanifat. The Director-General commended Jordan on its achievements in the area of food security over the past years and briefed him on some of the key initiatives taken by FAO, including its recent World Food Forum and its flagship Hand in Hand Initiative, which supports the implementation of nationally led, ambitious programmes to accelerate agrifood systems.

The minister thanked Qu for his leadership and expressed strong support for the ongoing positive changes taking place at FAO, adding that Jordan would like to see this momentum continue in the years ahead. The minister noted that Jordan has many programmes supported by FAO to address its challenges in the area of food security, nutrition and climate change, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two also discussed the many challenges facing Jordan and the region in terms of food security. These include climate challenges, water scarcity, regional conflicts and war, refugees, as well as surging agricultural input prices.

Looking ahead, the Director-General said bilateral cooperation between FAO and Jordan should focus on water efficiency, mechanization and agricultural machinery for small scale farmers, and the digitalization of agrifood systems.

The minister said he fully agreed with the Director-General's proposals and highlighted the importance of FAO’s support for Jordan’ Initiative for a Food Security Hub for the Region, a regional network designed to make full use of digital technologies and provide timely data for early warning and anticipatory actions in agriculture. 

Field visit with Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bint Ali

Accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bint Ali, FAO Goodwill Ambassador for the Near East and North Africa Region, the Director-General also conducted a field visit to the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan to better understand Jordan’s efforts and initiatives to conserve biodiversity for mitigating the impacts of the climate crisis.

In the Royal Botanic Garden, the Director-General tasted locally produced olive oil, which is supported by the FAO Investment Centre, through investment interventions by the International Financial Institutions (IFIs).