Dr. Fadel ELZUBI, an international expert in food security, explained that Jordan’s agricultural landscape is witnessing a gradual shift toward embracing entrepreneurship and innovation, with agricultural incubators emerging as a pivotal tool to empower youth and encourage them to transform their creative ideas into productive, scalable, and sustainable ventures.

He added that these incubators go far beyond providing financial support. They serve as integrated platforms offering specialized training, technical guidance, managerial consulting, and facilitation of access to local and global markets, while also attracting investors. This creates a fertile environment for launching sustainable agricultural projects that contribute directly to achieving food security.

On the ground, several initiatives have already shown tangible results. The National Agricultural Research Center has launched incubator programs to nurture innovative projects such as hydroponics and climate-smart agriculture. With the support of these programs, ambitious young entrepreneurs have successfully established startups that gradually expanded and even marketed their products beyond local borders.

Leading universities, such as the University of Jordan and Jordan University of Science and Technology, have reinforced this trend by establishing on-campus business incubators aimed at transforming research outputs into knowledge-based commercial ventures.

The private sector has also played a role, witnessing the rise of startups specializing in digital agricultural technologies, which have grown to become active partners in supply and production chains.

Despite these successes, ELZUBI noted that agricultural incubators still face significant challenges that hinder their expansion and impact. Chief among them are limited early-stage financing, weak integration between government and private sector actors, a shortage of qualified professionals capable of managing projects with modern business methodologies, and difficulties for startups in accessing international markets to compete with imports.

To achieve a real breakthrough, he emphasized the need to work on several parallel tracks:

  Securing adequate and accessible financing through dedicated youth support funds.

• Building strategic partnerships between universities and the private sector to exchange expertise and direct research toward solving real field problems.
• Integrating advanced agricultural technologies into incubator programs to ensure competitiveness.
• Establishing a unified national network that connects all incubators, enabling the sharing of knowledge, resources, and expertise.

ELZUBI stressed that advancing incubators requires political will and positioning them at the heart of the National Food Security Strategy. He called for agricultural business incubators to be recognized as a key driver within both the national youth strategy and the food security agenda, supported by tax and legislative incentives to encourage private sector investment, and expanded geographically to ensure equitable opportunities across all governorates.

He concluded by affirming that supporting agricultural incubators is not a secondary option but a strategic investment in youth human capital. It is essential for building a resilient, innovative agricultural sector capable of contributing to food sovereignty and strengthening the national economy. Incubators, he said, represent a true bridge for transforming traditional agriculture into a modern industry that keeps pace with global developments, responds to emerging challenges, and shapes a brighter future for Jordan and its coming generations.