Increasing Food Security in Dry Areas of the Middle East

The project also is expected to increase income for farmers. Transcript of radio broadcast:

07 February 2010

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Agricultural experts have launched a land and water management project in the Middle East. The project seeks to increase food security in dry areas. Researchers say the water availability in some of the areas has dropped well below the internationally recognized standard.

The project is seeking ideas from farmers to develop research programsEgypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank, Syria and Yemen are all taking part in the project. It is part of a larger ten-year effort called the Water and Livelihoods Initiative. The project is also expected to increase household income for farmers in the areas.

The United States Agency for International Development provided one million dollars for the Water and Livelihoods Initiative. Scott Christianson is an agricultural development advisor with U.S.A.I.D. He helped develop the project while working for the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas. He says the countries taking part in the project were all carefully selected.

SCOTT CHRISTIANSON: "They all share a socio-economic and cultural heritage that's fairly homogeneous. We feel that it's going to maximize our opportunity for trading of knowledge that we will generate in the project."