The international food security expert, Dr. Fadel El Zubi, explained that Jordan’s agricultural sector is undergoing deep structural transformations, the most notable of which is the accelerating fragmentation of agricultural land ownership. Today, most farmers own less than 20 dunums, while a “medium-sized” farmer is classified as one who owns 50 dunums or less.
He added that this change stems from accumulated factors, most notably inheritance and the division of land across generations, which have significantly reduced the economic viability of farming and made it less attractive for investment — especially in the absence of effective regulatory mechanisms to facilitate land leasing or agricultural partnerships.
According to official reports, the number of small agricultural holdings rose from about 57,400 in 1983 to more than 91,500 in 1997, while the average size of each holding decreased from 64.3 to 41.5 dunums. No updated statistics have been published since then, but this trend reflects a continued rise in land fragmentation and the shrinking of farm sizes, which in turn limits the application of modern agricultural technologies, hinders mechanization, raises production costs, and reduces profitability.
Dr. El Zubi further noted that this situation has accelerated rural-to-urban migration, increasing urbanization rates in Jordan, which threatens demographic balance, places additional pressure on cities and infrastructure, and weakens the state’s ability to achieve sustainable food security.
He pointed out that modern agricultural cooperatives represent a strategic alternative to revitalize agriculture. In light of these challenges, such cooperatives — even virtual ones — offer a pathway to reorganize the agricultural sector. These production and marketing cooperatives not only unite small farmers under a legal and institutional framework that strengthens their bargaining power, but also provide an integrated system that includes a professional board of directors representing farmers’ interests, marketing arms that connect producers directly with markets, research and technical units to keep pace with agricultural innovations, packaging and processing services that meet export standards, and collective financing mechanisms for technology transfer and production organization.
Dr. El Zubi emphasized that cooperatives act as effective intermediaries between farmers and markets, enabling better organization of sorting, packaging, and transportation processes, and facilitating direct links with central markets and modern distribution chains, thereby enhancing value addition and ensuring marketing stability.
Moreover, cooperatives serve as a promising platform for engaging youth and women in the agricultural sector by creating jobs in post-harvest services, digital marketing, and logistics operations, thus contributing to the economic empowerment and development of rural communities.
He added that cooperative organization also opens the door to funding opportunities from both local and international institutions, as this model offers transparency and efficiency in resource management and collective distribution of support. Properly structured cooperatives can thus qualify for grants and special incentives from the government and development partners.
Dr. El Zubi concluded that launching large-scale production and marketing cooperatives, supported by a clear legislative and regulatory framework, would represent a critical step toward transforming the organization of agricultural production and marketing. This would restore the status of agriculture as a productive and community-oriented profession and place Jordan firmly on the path toward smart agriculture and sustainable rural development..