Environmental and Agricultural Experts at the U.S. Embassy: The National Seed Bank is a Pioneer in Biodiversity Conservation
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Mohammad Al-Rawashdeh, Director General of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), received a delegation from the U.S. Embassy in Amman. The delegation included Dr. Seckinger, Director of the Regional Environmental Office; Muhannad Shahwan, Agricultural Specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Jomertz, Economic Officer specializing in water and the environment; and Yara Abu-Laban, Regional Environmental Specialist. The visit aimed to gain insight into the operations of the National Seed Bank affiliated with NARC.
During the visit, the U.S. Embassy delegation praised the leading role of the National Agricultural Research Center in conserving biodiversity and safeguarding plant heritage. They expressed the embassy’s interest in future collaboration with the National Seed Bank to enhance biodiversity efforts.
The delegation noted that NARC benefits from a new leadership that has advanced the scientific research environment and boasts extensive expertise in biodiversity, evidenced by 48 scientific papers published in this field.
Dr. Al-Rawashdeh stated that the National Seed Bank was established under Royal directives and aligns with the Economic Modernization Vision and the National Sustainable Development Plan, which the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture is implementing. The Seed Bank focuses on the genetic characterization of wild relatives of local seeds, particularly those evaluated by NARC researchers for phenotypic traits to support breeding and crop improvement programs.
He added that the center aims to expand research related to the integration of modern technologies such as tissue culture and molecular techniques in the evaluation of wild relatives and local landraces of economically valuable crops. This is to accelerate the development of economically viable varieties in line with national strategic goals aimed at enhancing food security. He also emphasized that NARC looks forward to joint efforts to position the region as a promising source of genetic diversity that can serve both the local area and the broader region.