WANA Project

Improving Farmers’ Income in Marginal Environments

Regional Project
Adaptation to climate change in WANA marginal environments through sustainable crop and livestock diversification
Increasing population, water scarcity, lack of fertile lands, decline in rainfall, increase in temperatures and salt levels, and other climate changes are affecting the agricultural production and water resources and quality: directly affecting the farmers and their livelihoods in marginal lands. So what can these countries do to increase the production and income of small-scale farmers in marginal lands, on which the majority of farmers in the region depend? So all must do to meet this challenge and improve the ability to plant high-value crops that can survive under these conditions.
 
Dr. Abdullah Dakheel, Regional Project Coordinator: The efforts of the local researchers and the extension services centers and the cooperation with the ICBA scientists were the drive behind the progress made during the limited number of years from experiential stations to wide participation from farmers due to the positive results that were accomplished from the very beginning of the project at the research centers which led to the adoption of these plant species and alternative systems by the concerned administrations within participating countries and push for the farmers to adopt as well. There is also the excitement and high volume of requests from farmers as they took part in the field days and farmers' training schools which convinced the farmers of the possibility of benefiting from these plant species and increasing their production and therefore their livelihoods by adopting them.

Support and more development is required to maintain all achievements of seeds yield, integrated management and improving rural women’s income in different countries. More than 5000 farmers participated in field training days and attended farmers schools in rural areas. in addition, more than 1000 farmers engaged in testing, improving and adapting these methods. farmers groups, ministries, researchers and workers in agricultural extension services should recognize the importance of sharing and trading information and methods acquired. in some cases, some governments have already started implementing these successful ideas, approaches and models.
 
Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Director General, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA): By increasing farmers’ involvement, extension services centers, NGOs and governmental entities, project achievements that resulted significantly in improving small-scale farmers’ income can get up-scaled and have sustainable effect. We should work altogether to improve the livelihood of our rural families, and in particular, those with small-scale income.
 
This project has been implemented by farmers, specialists and workers in national institutions involved in agri-research in the countries of: Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen in collaboration with ICBA.

Institutions that participated in financing the project are: 
World Bank for Agricultural Development IFAD
Islamic Development Bank  IDB
Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development AFESD
OPEC Fund for International Development  OFID