Umniah Supports Green Caravan by Planting 1000 Trees in the Central Jordan Valley

October xx, 2017 – Amman, Jordan: For the fifth consecutive year, and under the slogan #Plant_Umniah, Umniah has continued its support of The Green Caravan program, launched by Arab Group For The Protection Of Nature Society (APN) in 2003, which aims to increase green spaces and reduce desertification rates resulting from encroaching urbanization and overgrazing. Umniah staff members and friends, as well as environmental activists, volunteered their time to plant 1000 citrus trees in the central Jordan Valley town of Deir ‘Alla. Since its launch, Umniah has continuously supported social, developmental and environmental associations and initiatives, including the Arab Group For The Protection Of Nature Society (APN), which strives to reinforce food security through the planting of fruit trees native to each region. The APN’s initiative also works to reduce desertification and the effects of climate change, as well as provides additional sources of income for farmer families, which mitigates poverty levels particularly in marginalized and underprivileged areas. APN is also actively involved in raising community awareness of the importance of planting and preserving trees as a sustainable cultural resource wealth for future generations, encouraging student participation in voluntary planting and conservation activities. Umniah CEO Ziad Shatara affirmed the company’s continued support for the association, which implements worthy objectives that are compatible with the company’s strategy of subsidizing achieving sustainable economic development in the Kingdom. Shatara also addressed the importance of agriculture and forestation, and increasing the plant canopy in our lives, noting that international studies tree planting has positive environmental, aesthetic and financial effects. The financial value of a tree over its lifetime, 50 years, comes out to approximately $200,000 as an in-kind value, with one tree providing over a period of 50 years about 50 tons of oxygen valued at $32,000. In return, it absorbs carbon dioxide at a value of $64,000, and has an important role in protecting the environment from erosion and the loss of land stock, and maintaining a pleasant atmospheric temperature, valued at $3,000. Shatara spoke of his team’s participation in the initiative, saying that their participation reflects their understanding of the reward of voluntary work, the conservation of nature, the importance of planting trees, combating desertification, and their relation to Jordan’s agricultural future. -END-