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