AMMAN —The Sahara Forest
Project (SFP) and ECO Consult signed a memorandum of understanding today in the
Norwegian Ambassador residence in Amman.
اضافة اعلان
The partnership aims to enable
collaboration between Jordanian and International companies within the
water-energy-food nexus and relevant technologies. Common priorities for both
entities are to improve the agri-tech sector productivity through the
utilization of modern technologies and to empower Jordanian women to embark
into the agri-tech industry as employees, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
ECO Consult is a development company
focusing on green growth sectors and adopting technology and management
innovations for economic growth, youth and women empowerment, and advancing
prosperity.
Ra'ed Daoud, managing director at
Eco Consult said during the signing ceremony: "This agreement builds on
the efforts that Eco Consult have been doing for the past seven years to boost
food security, self-sufficiency, and create more jobs and opportunities for
youth in the agricultural sector. We will be using the SFP's facility in Aqaba
to do joint activities and training programs. Eventually, we want to bring the
youth back into the agriculture sector."
Ruba Al-Zubi SFP representative in
Jordan said "this collaboration is important for SFP and for the agri-tech
industry in Jordan, we aim to work together on joint projects and activities
that can leverage the local resources and capacities and contribute to Jordan's
environment, water and energy priorities. We at SFP believe that the future
belongs to the visionary businesses that integrate social and environmental
sustainability within their business models which is something we have in our
DNA."
Managing Director Kjetil Stake of
Sahara Forest Project emphasized: «This is an important and strategic
partnership to share knowledge and create concrete projects of mutual benefit.
The SFP has main competence within saltwater-based agriculture and the use of
renewable energy, and we are impressed by the expertise and competence of
Eco Consult and their partners in several sectors. We look forward to engaging
with Eco Consult to boost modern agriculture practices, train young
professionals and ultimately create new, green jobs in Jordan.
The Norwegian Ambassador Tone Allers
who hosted the ceremony said: "I hope that this MOU is just the beginning
of many partnerships between the SFP and Jordanian actors. The Norwegian
embassy in Amman supports the SFP in its scale up plans with stronger emphasis
on local anchoring of its operations and impact."
SFP facility in Aqaba Jordan was
inaugurated by HM
King Abdullah II and HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in
2017, following 3 year trial period. The project is ready for commercial
scale-up for production both for the export of vegetables to Europe and for the
domestic vegetable market in Amman to replace the import of vegetables from
Europe with vegetables produced at the Sahara Forest
Project facility in Aqaba.
During the past 12 months, and
despite the pandemic SFP managed to export and deliver vegetables grown at the
facility to Norway. Furthermore, SFP in collaboration with
Hussein Technical University (HTU) managed to train 30 young women on the technologies adopted at
the facility.
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