Nader brings to Souq al Ard:

 

fresh fruits and vegetables

 

a smiling face

 

great sales technique 

 

expertise in mentoring small producers

"Food is my passion" says Nader, who runs a fruit and vegetable stall at Souq al Ard.  Trained as a chef in the United States, he knows the importance of quality food.  For years he was maitre d' and head chef in restaurants and country clubs in the USA. 

 

When he came back to Jordan almost eight years ago, however, a chef's salary would not have been enough money to support his family of five children. 

So instead, he went back to his roots to become a vegetable trader, a business that he had learned from his father and which still offered an outlet for his passion for quality produce. 

 

"Jordan has lots of small farms but they can't afford to send people to the markets to sell and so people don't have access to the high quality foods they produce," Nader explains. Since setting up, Nader has built an excellent reputation for reliability, friendliness and above all, for value for money. When you buy Nader's fruit and vegetables, it will last for days, so you don't get wastage. 

 

Nader is a great mentor for the other small producers: "These people have great products to sell, but the problem is that they are closed off from the customers. I try to teach them how to open up and interact."

 

 

Souq al Ard provides rural producers with access to a market where they can get a fair price for their goods. They are encouraged to adopt sustainable farming practices, such as organic methods, grey water recycling, and drip feed irrigation.

 

Souq al Ard: an opportunity for customers to make ethical consumer choices.