FAO Director-General honours King Abdullah II of Jordan with the prestigious FAO Agricola Medal, praising the monarch’s regional leadership on food security

Amman – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu today presented King Abdullah II of Jordan with the FAO Agricola Medal, the Organization’s highest award, in a ceremony held at the Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman. 

“The medal is a recognition of the exceptional leadership and vision of His Majesty over the past 26 years in leading the country’s efforts to transform Jordan’s agrifood system to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” the FAO Director-General said.

He paid tribute to King Abdullah’s role in positioning Jordan as a regional leader in food security through strategic domestic initiatives and international partnerships, addressing challenges including water scarcity, the climate crisis, refugees and regional instability.

King Abdullah in turn expressed his appreciation, saying the medal recognized the growing cooperation and partnership between the Kingdom and FAO.

Equitable system

The Director-General highlighted the King’s commitment to ensuring a more equitable agrifood system, which is deeply rooted in a noble commitment to human dignity and prosperity – not just in Jordan, but across the region, and worldwide, thereby ensuring global food security.

Qu said that he and the Jordanian monarch shared a conviction, commitment and passion around the belief that resilient agrifood systems are the foundation of stable societies and thriving economies.

King Abdullah’s leadership and dedication to global food security and sustainable agriculture are aligned with FAO’s mandate, its aspiration of the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life - leaving no-one behind, which is the foundation of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, the Director-General said.

He also commended the Jordanian monarch for initiatives including the establishment of a National Seed Bank to preserve plant genetic data for agricultural sustainability and climate resilience, digital farm registries, and water-efficient technologies to meet global market standards. Qu added that investment mobilization under King Abdullah’s leadership had leveraged public-private partnerships to attract financing for agricultural development.

Regional Hub

King Abdullah, who ascended to the throne in February 1999, has pursued a strategy of turning Jordan into a regional food security hub. The task has only grown more crucial in face of refugee inflows, the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis and the impacts of the war in Ukraine. The role encompasses building up capacities in areas such as logistics, agricultural production, food processing, irrigation systems, plastic greenhouses, technology and the provision of emergency assistance to countries in the region.

Qu affirmed that FAO would continue to deepen its strategic partnership with Jordan, building on science and innovation, working together to realize initiatives such as Jordan's Economic Modernization Vision that champions the inclusion of food security as a key pillar, and emphasizes sectoral growth and export promotion to global markets in support to countries in the region.

He also expressed support for the country’s National Food Security Strategy, including the Higher Food Security Council, to accelerate implementation and ensure effective coordination in key areas of water-smart agriculture and climate-resilient practices.

Under FAO’s Country Programming Framework (2024-2028) for Jordan, priorities include boosting smallholder productivity, agrifood systems governance, resilience to climate risks and positioning the country as a regional food security hub—supported by investment in agriculture, access to finance, and improved data systems.