Amman, July 27 (Petra) - The Jordan Cooperative Corporation (JCC) Director-General Abdulfattah Shalabi and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) discussed on Monday strategies to ensure local cooperatives benefit from phase two of a regional poverty reduction initiative.
The initiative, titled "Small Ruminants Investment and Graduating Households in Transition Project," aims to lift rural families out of poverty.
During Phase 1, IFAD provided JD15,000 in funding to each of four cooperatives in the Jordanian Badia.
Shalabi stressed the vital role of agricultural cooperatives (around 350 nationwide) in bolstering food security and empowering women economically. He noted that JCC must serve as a third party in future funding agreements between IFAD and local cooperatives to exercise statutory oversight under the 2025 Cooperatives Law and ensure long-term viability.
He added that steps are underway to establish a Cooperative Development Fund as a dedicated financing tool.
For his part, Waleed Ali, IFAD Environmental and Climate Change Expert, confirmed that Phase 2 will primarily target agricultural and women-led cooperatives.
He added that IFAD is currently assessing support mechanisms and partnering with JCC to identify eligible cooperatives, stressing that funding will depend on strong guarantees for project completion and sustainability.
//Petra// HA
