Planting Azolla empowers Jordan’s women farmers
Azolla is allowing Jordanian and Syrian women to take care of their families and engage in sustainable agricultural production. Azolla, the climate adaptive crop, is being grown, harvested and used in al-Makeefta village, of the Mafraq governorate, a water-scarce region of northern Jordan. The town's population nearly doubled after the influx of Syrian refugees fleeing the civil war and taking shelter in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp. Both the local and displaced women are working together to operate agricultural co-ops using green houses and small-scale farming to cheaply and sustainably feed livestock such as chickens, sheep, and pigeons. Arid countries like Jordan are already experiencing the impacts of climate change including prolonged droughts and water scarcity. The water intensity of crops like hay and corn mean that 90% of animal feed in Jordan is imported and bought, rather than grown locally. Learning sustainable farming techniques and resource management allows these women to save on both water and fertilizer, whilst protecting natural bodies of water. The Azolla cultivation affords the farmers stability and agency in a landscape of climate and economic challenge.
