On October 9th, 2018 HAED-Jo held a workshop for Jordanian Community Based Organizations (CBO’s) at the Agricultural Engineers Association. The aim of the workshop was to brief participants on the project objectives and achievements as well as the process for receiving support and assistance from the project to install hydroponic projects at their CBO’s.
Over 20 participants attended the workshop. The workshop included CBO directors, technical focal points, and board members. Having them all was meant to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness in addressing related issues to conducting hydroponic farming in their perspective organization. It also offered an opportunity to open channels of communication amongst various CBO’s and enhance levels of cooperation among them.
Considering very few participants knew about hydroponic farming, the workshop introduced hydroponic agriculture, its advantages, the different systems available, and the various crops that thrive in hydroponic systems. The HAED-Jo team also oriented the participants on post-harvest techniques that also improve production.
The session also focused on the importance of the administrative focal point’s role, as he/she will be in charge of the administrative and marketing reports as well as monitoring and evaluating key indicators.
Participants also engaged in a brainstorming activity in which they reflected on the enabling and challenging factors in their respective organization to compel them to think about their own situations and about the feasibility of undertaking hydroponic farming.
HAED-Jo aims to create partnerships with CBO’s to expand hydroponic farming in Jordan and to improve the agricultural value chain on the community level. It is vital to include community groups to adopt this agricultural development and implement hydroponic farming under the single tunnel basic greenhouse for community groups, cooperatives, small and medium farmers in order to improve livelihoods and create jobs for Jordanians and Syrian refugees in host communities. Retrofitting tunnel greenhouses with hydroponic systems will improve production quality, increase water use efficiency, reduce soil-borne diseases, and improve pest control.