Aloe Vera, a crop to revive the economy of Karak, Jordan

Title Promotion of the Aloe Vera agribusiness chain through the implementation of a pilot project to support small producers’ cooperatives in the Karak Area, Jordan

Framework Network for sustainable development and productive and commercial innovation of Aloe Vera farmers- Jordan

Location Distric of Karak, Giordania

Leader of the project Fondazione Giovanni Paolo II

Partner Wild Jordan

Funding Agenzia Italiana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo – AICS

Context

To cope with the decrease in agricultural work opportunities in some parts of Jordan, Fondazione Giovanni Paolo II started a project that launched a project to spread different pilot crops of products in various areas of the country. In the Karak District, where there is a strong tradition of farming techniques, the Fondazione chose to plant the Aloe Vera. Even though it isn’t a traditional crop of the Jordan Valley, Aloe Vera represents an interesting opportunity as it can open new national and international markets for its derivative products in the food and cosmetic sectors.

General Objective

From a commercial and economic point of view, Aloe Vera is a strategic production chain for the economic revitalization of the territory. In particular, the three-year project will establish together with the farmers of the Karak district an on-site a certified quality production system of the Aloe Vera crop and equip farmers with a little structure for processing the plant to extract derivatives. These products will be sold on the local and international markets.

Our contribution

ARCO’s Circular Innovation & Sustainable Commodities Unit is supporting the definition of the optimal layout of the productive building areas according to international standards ( in food and cosmetic sectors), they will also define and implement a Protocol of Good Practice of Production to obtain Aloe derivatives. The Unit will also supervise the chemical characterization analyses of samples of Aloe and will track productions and markets (at local and international level) in relation to the quality.

Summing up, ARCO Researchers aims at defining a strategy to establish high quality standardized productive systems that will be able to offer new perspective to all local farmers, and their families, involved in the supply chain.
To now more, chec-out the videos here

 

Read more on our Circular Innovation & Sustainable Commodities Unit