Jordan Daily – A delegation from the U.S. Embassy in Amman commended the National Seed Bank for its pioneering role in biodiversity conservation during an official visit to the facility on Monday.
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, which operates under National Agricultural Research Center (NARC).
The U.S. Embassy representatives commended the center’s role in “conserving biodiversity and safeguarding plant heritage,” and voiced interest in “future collaboration with the National Seed Bank to enhance biodiversity efforts.”
They also highlighted the scientific progress at the center, stating that “NARC benefits from a new leadership that has advanced the scientific research environment,” noting the publication of 48 scientific papers on biodiversity by the center’s researchers.
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Mohammad Al-Rawashdeh, Director General of NARC, emphasized in a statement received by Jordan Daily that the National Seed Bank was established “under Royal directives” and is in line with “the Economic Modernization Vision and the National Sustainable Development Plan, which the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing.”
He explained that the Seed Bank prioritizes “the genetic characterization of wild relatives of local seeds,” particularly those assessed for “phenotypic traits to support breeding and crop improvement programs.”
Dr. Al-Rawashdeh added that the center aims to expand research efforts by integrating “modern technologies such as tissue culture and molecular techniques in the evaluation of wild relatives and local landraces of economically valuable crops,” in order to “accelerate the development of economically viable varieties in line with national strategic goals aimed at enhancing food security.”
He concluded by expressing NARC’s vision for regional leadership in agricultural biodiversity: “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.”
