Egypt and Jordan - Climate-Smart Agriculture

Climate change and socioeconomic developments increase the pressure on natural resources. This is expected to negatively impact the food system. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa will be affected by rising temperatures, a decline in usable farmland and increased water scarcity. At the same time, population and wealth are on the rise. Producing food in this region is becoming more complex. Adaptive and mitigating measures against climate change in agriculture are needed.

Focus on food security and climate change

Agriculture in Jordan and Egypt must be adapted to the changing climate to ensure sufficient food production. Projects focused on this goal could apply the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) concept. The UN world food organisation FAO defines this concept as follows: CSA is not a new farming system nor a collection of methods. It is a new approach to implementing the required changes in the food system that aim to increase food security and mitigate the consequences of climate change.

Various CSA projects have taken place in Jordan and Egypt. The Dutch government has funded several projects in which various Dutch institutes contributed their expertise and experience in CSA. For the coming years, a perspective is needed to support and expand developments in CSA. To this end, we will interview project partners in the coming months, focusing on their expertise and experience. Moreover, we will discuss and assess the ideas thus gathered with local and Dutch partners. The embassies in Jordan and Egypt may use the outcomes to determine what projects to focus on in the coming years.