ELZUBI to Al‑Rai: Levantine Agricultural Integration Begins with a Single Equivalence File

Dr. Fadel ELZUBI emphasized that agricultural integration in the Levant will not begin with new councils or broad agreements, but with verifiable trust and respect for water. He called on Jordan to lead, given its regulatory readiness and urgent need for action.
He warned that mutual recognition is premature, as systems remain unequal, and Gulf markets will not accept the weakest link. The practical path is product‑by‑product equivalence, backed by traceability and accredited labs.
ELZUBI dismissed the notion of a “regional food basket,” stressing that water scarcity makes grain self‑sufficiency impossible. The correct measure is water productivity—value and jobs per cubic meter—through efficient protected farming, seed production, reuse of treated water, and rain‑fed olives.
He concluded that what is needed is not another ministerial council, but bilateral corridors, shared verification platforms, and regular exchange of drought and pest data, with Jordan positioned to lead in standards, labs, and irrigation expertise.