Abu Ghraib genebank rises from the ashes, thanks to Sanaa

Meet Mrs Sanaa Abdul Wahab Al-Sheikh. She used to work at the old Iraqi national genebank at Abu Ghraib. That genebank was looted and destroyed in the aftermath of the invasion. But Mrs Sanaa says she saved about a thousand accessions by hiding them underground and in her fridge. She now works at the new, rebuilt Iraqi national genebank at Abu Ghraib, under the State Board for Seed Testing and Certification. And the accessions she saved from the old collection have been joined by hundreds of others that she’s been collecting from farmers’ fields since 2004. A remarkable person.

6 Replies to “Abu Ghraib genebank rises from the ashes, thanks to Sanaa”

  1. Impressive. Mrs Sanaa Abdul Wahab Al-Sheikh should be rewarded for her dedication to the conservation of precious seeds for Iraq.

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