In the heart of Jordan’s southern valleys, 76 farming families are facing the loss of their land, source of livelihood and food. A recent government decision to expropriate agricultural lands in Ghor Al‑Safi and Ghor Fifa for a railway project threatens not just local farmers, but the foundation of food security and environmental justice in the region.
The decision poses a direct threat to the limited agricultural lands in the country, seriously undermining the national agricultural resource base, which is already scarce and strategic. This has direct negative implications for food sovereignty, as these lands represent a cornerstone for ensuring relative food self-sufficiency and reducing dependence on external sources.
This threat extends beyond environmental or economic harm to affect strategic national security, as the protection of agricultural land is a fundamental element of stability and national security. Any decision or action that reduces such lands without legal justification or without considering the supreme public interest is fundamentally flawed and warrants judicial oversight and annulment.
ILC EMENA member APN, along with 35 civil society organisations, expressed serious concerns about the expropriation decision and its potential impact on food sovereignty and national security, highlighting that the environmental assessment was not submitted to the competent committee for review, nor was there public discussion or meaningful local community participation. These gaps have raised legitimate concerns among farmers regarding their livelihoods, social stability, and food security in the region.
Read the collective position paper below andread APN's blog poston the topic.
Defending land is defending life.
Read, share, and stand with Jordan’s farmers.
Position Paper on the Decision to Expropriate Agricultural Lands in Ghor Al-Safi and Ghor Fifa and Its Impact on Food Security and Sustainable Development
Issued by Civil Society Organizations
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