The programme also aims at raising the awareness of farmers and the public on organic production and its benefits on health, environment and socio-economic systems.

“What I have heard here today makes me very proud. We are on the right track to embedding and expanding organic farming throughout Jordan," Queen Rania said at the launch, which brought together more than 300 farmers.

“Our main goal is twofold: To improve farmers’ livelihoods by selling quality products at competitive prices, and also to give consumers a healthy lifestyle choice,” she noted.

Queen Rania highlighted the need for introducing consumers to the health and environmental benefits of organic products in order to ensure the spread of the environment-friendly practice.

“Evolving our farming sector requires a mindset shift in our current agricultural practices; it’ll take time, effort and greater coordination between all key players, but I have every confidence that it will happen, and Jordan will take its place in the global organic movement.”

The programme seeks to promote a sustainable approach to organic agricultural development across the Kingdom, in line with His Majesty King Abdullah's announcement of 2009 as the year for developing and supporting the agriculture sector and farmers.

Queen Rania noted that with the country's water shortage and limited agricultural lands, organic farming is suited to the Kingdom's conditions.

Jordan, which is categorised as one of the four poorest countries in the world in terms of water availability, houses 80,152 agricultural holdings, covering a total terrain of almost 2.7 million dunums, according to official figures.

Executed by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) and implemented by the Institute for Marketecology (IMO), the programme targets several agricultural sectors including fresh and dried fruits and vegetables, aromatic herbs and medicinal plants, animal and fish production, and food manufacturing.

According to a recent study conducted by the KAFD and IMO, more than 80 per cent of the Kingdom's utilised agricultural lands can be transformed into organic farms.

But the shift from traditional to organic farming will not be an easy task according to the study, which indicated an absence of local policies supporting organic farming, as well as a shortage of qualified labour and inspection and accreditation institutions.

It also revealed that high prices of organic produce discourage consumers, despite an increasing global demand on organic farming.

The study, which also analysed potentials of the organic farming sector in Jordan, showed that there is a demand for organic produce in 110 countries around the world, which gives the Kingdom access to global markets.

Programme coordinator Rabeeh Salameh noted that organic farming, which typically avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, plant growth regulators and livestock feed additives, “significantly increases farmers’ net revenues compared to conventional farming and decreases production costs".

Ziyad Jaber, a farmer who started the shift to organic production last year, said producing healthy fruits and vegetables opens international markets for his products and increases his income.

"I urge all farmers to join the organic farming process; it actually reduces production costs," Jaber said at the ceremony yesterday.

Under the programme, the IMO will train hundreds of farmers for a period of three years and assist in certifying farms that have converted to organic production.

Meanwhile, the Jordan River Foundation, which began researching best practices and formulating organic farming regulations upon Queen Rania's directives in 2002, will work with local partners to build institutional capacities and equip farmers with the necessary skills needed to increase productivity.