Facilitating Smallholder Farmers’ Market Access
In the OIC Member Countries
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example, wheat producers in Jordan were displaced—the implementation of reforms, in
conjunction with public investments in infrastructure, education, and social safety nets,
appears to have worked. Poverty rates have fallen substantially, and as an added benefit,
the country’s limited water resources are being used more efficiently.
Small farmers in Jordan face the problem of managing limited water resources and
accessing markets. Some farmers have found success by combining sophisticated
technologies to provide fresh produce to local markets. For example, Khaireddin Shukri, a
farmer in Amman, invested in equipment to reuse plentiful brackish water and adopt
technologies that enable his produce to clear strict food safety standards. In 2010, he was
able to provide fresh salads for McDonald outlets throughout Jordan (Seeley, 2010). This
approach, requires both a sophisticated understanding of available technologies and a
keen understanding of private food safety standards. Governments can help by making
this type of information easier to find.