Under the patronage of Jordan Minister of Agriculture Engineer Saeed Al Masri, the Fourth International Conference on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in Agriculture: Challenges & Opportunities was inaugurated today at the Holiday Inn- Amman hotel.
The two-day Conference, organized by Jordan Technical Consultancy Center (TCS) and the Agricultural Materials Traders and Producers Association in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, comes on the heels of the success of the International Conference on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in agriculture, which the Center and Association held in 2005, 2007, and 2008.
Deputizing for the Minister, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture Dr. Radi Al Tarawneh inaugurated the venue which witnessed the participation of local, regional and international experts from public and private sectors.
“We believe that the outcome of this meeting would become a future framework that enables us in the Ministry to overcome current challenges in the agricultural sector,” Al Tarawneh addressed the attendees.
He added that His Majesty King Abdullah II has announced that focus on 2009 will be placed on plans to improve the agriculture field which highly demonstrates the King’s concern and interest in this significant sector that “constitutes the main financial income for 15 percent of Jordan’s population generating more than 125,000 job opportunities in 2008.”
The Conference promotes awareness on the importance of IPRs for the good of the agricultural sector in Jordan, by underlining some themes that included: the promotion of innovation and the return of investment by an effective enforcement of the rights; effective IP systems and their influence on the development of society; IP systems and their relationship with the trade sector, among others.
“The global financial crisis has affected food prices which make both countries and individuals suffer leading millions of people to be categorized as poor and needy. Here comes, the role of invention and creativity in agriculture to develop new mechanisms and inventions that ease this situation,” said TCS Manager Sameer Owais.
He revealed that the Center is currently preparing for a regional conference on agriculture that is expected to be convened before the end of this year.
In addition, the Center has decided to offer the SAWSANA Award for Agricultural Excellence which is an annual award that highlights the importance of encouraging researchers, economists, and scholars in the different agricultural disciplines.
SOURCE: AGIPNEWS
