Meeting with the Jordanian Senate The Jordan Environmental Union organized a meeting on the 23rd of January 2018 between its members and the President of the Environment and Health Committee of the Jordanian Senate, Dr. Youssef Al Qussous.

APN co-founder Razan Zuayter focused on two pressing issues; first, urban sprawl that continues to annex agricultural land and natural habitats. She noted that the area dedicated for rainfed agriculture has witnessed a significant decline, from 260,000 dunams of land in 1992 to 157,000 dunams of land in 2010.

Similarly, the area of land allocated for agriculture in Amman has declined from 455,000 dunams in 2003, to 322,410 dunams in 2009. The second issue was the absence of effective land tenure rights.

Zuayter shed light on Al Bakura (Northern Jordan Valley) and Al Ghumar (Wadi Araba) that Israel still controls, and pumps large amounts of groundwater from. She also emphasized the need to monitor farmland ownership in the Jordan Valley where lands are being sold rapidly, without clarity on the purpose and the buyers. Meetings with the Jordanian Minister of Environment H.E. Minister of Environment Nayef AlFayez  invited APN to participate in two meetings dedicated for environmental organizations. The first took place at the Jordan Green Building Council on the 21st of March where members of the Jordan Environmental Union introduced themselves and their work.

 The second took place on the 6th of May at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and welcomed a large number of environmental organizations from across Jordan. Participants discussed challenges confronting environmental organizations and means to unify their efforts and integrate their work with the Ministry of Environment and the private sector. 

Meetings with the Food and Drug Administration The Jordan Food and Drug administration (JFDA) invited APN on the 16th of April 2018 to meet with its head of Domestic Food Department , Mr. Amjad Rashaydeh and the head of the Risk Unit Ms. Tamador Maayah. The discussion revolved around prospects of cooperation and the possible establishment of a multi-stakeholder national committee concerned with food security and safety in Jordan.APN met again with JDFA on Wednesday June 20th  to inquire about the recommendation that was sent by the administration to the Prime Minister to allow GMO into Jordan. 

 Meeting with the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs APN President Rami Barhoush, Project Manager Mohammad Qtaishat and lawyer Abdullah Hawatmeh held a meeting with the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs on the 23rd of January 2, to present a proposal for collaboration that entails APN planting fruit trees in mosque yards, and grey water from ablution (wudu)  is used to irrigate the trees. Proceeds from the fruits would go back to the mosque.  

Meeting with the Jordanian Minister of Agriculture APN President Rami Barhoush and Razan Zuayter President of the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty met H.E. Khaled Hneifat Minister of Agriculture in Jordan, where they conversed about agricultural priorities in Jordan and how to enhance collaboration between civil society and the government. IUCN Meeting on the Conservation of Endangered Species APN Project Manager Mohammad Qtaishat attended a meeting held by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the opportunity to participate in a grant presented by the International Committee for the Conservation of Species aimed at protecting endangered species. Qtaishat suggested that an initial brainstorming session would be useful to come out with joint projects in an effort to boost collaboration between the different environmental organizations.

He proposed that organization collectively target the threatened “Arar tree” that is native to Wadi Musa in the Southern Jordan Valley.