Project Dates: May 2023 – April 2026
Donor: Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
Location: Jordan
Project Description:
GrowEconomy promoted sustainable, inclusive and decent economic opportunities for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians in the agriculture sector. The project was implemented across Ajloun, Irbid, Madaba and Balqa governorates and linked climate-adaptive agriculture with decent work, income diversification and protection. It was led by ACTED in partnership with Action Against Hunger, Terre des hommes, Phenix Centre for Sustainable Development, ECO Consult and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, in coordination with the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC).
The project aimed to improve working conditions in the sector and help farming households and agricultural workers build stable, year-round incomes that are more resilient to climate change and unexpected shocks. Over three years, it supported 612 small farming households to adopt climate-adaptive, regenerative and agro-ecological techniques, helped 1,619 agricultural labourers improve their employability and access to year-round income, and connected 428 small farmers to new market opportunities.
Provided Services:
As technical partner, ECO Consult led the project's work on market access and value chain integration. Drawing on its network across the sector, ECO Consult strengthened linkages along the agricultural value chain to help small farmers adopt innovative practices, improve the quality of their produce and reach new markets.
Together with NARC, ECO Consult carried out an in-depth assessment of the project's value chains: strawberry, baby cucumber, bell pepper, grape, okra and eggplant. It then conducted a market mapping of local and export opportunities, including the reopened Jordan–Syria agricultural corridor. Building on these findings, ECO Consult coached small farmers on market requirements, quality and packaging standards, and the preparation of marketing plans.
ECO Consult selected eight medium and large farms from its network to act as anchors in the value chain. ECO Consult also trained focal points on these farms to pass on sustainable farming and post-harvest practices to agricultural labourers.
To formalise partnerships between small farmers and market actors, ECO Consult worked with a legal expert to develop a Memorandum of Understanding. The MoU supports both vertical integration with buyers and processors and horizontal integration with large farms. In spring 2026, ECO Consult held four Market Network Sessions that brought 428 small farmers, 180 of them women, together with restaurants, food processors, suppliers and large farmers. Ahead of the events, 108 farmers received full branding and packaging support. By the end of the sessions, 144 supply agreements had been signed, well above the target of 100.