The Crop Trust is a non-profit international organization dedicated to conserving crop diversity and making it available for use globally, forever, for the benefit of everyone.

We work with donors and partners to lead global projects that protect crop diversity, conserve crop wild relatives and develop technology to make this diversity accessible worldwide.

We seek professionals with a passion for global food security and a strong drive to contribute to our mission of conserving crop diversity for future generations.

Basma bint Ali

Executive Board Member

Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bint Ali of Jordan is a prominent environmental advocate, humanitarian and retired military officer, who has dedicated her life to environmental conservation and community development by actively working on biodiversity conservation in Jordan for over 30 years.

Princess Basma has founded several non-profit, non-governmental environmental entities. She founded the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan in 2005 to conserve Jordan’s native flora, and co-founded the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan in 1995 to protect Jordan’s coral reefs. In 2021, Princess Basma bint Ali was appointed by HM King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Hashemite Fund for Development of Jordan Badia. Her focus is to steer socio-economic development through strategic community-based green growth projects. Princess Basma bint Ali serves on several national and international boards of environmental entities, including chairing the National Biodiversity Committee of Jordan (Ministry of Environment). She is a Board Member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International and chairs its International Advisory Council.

Princess Basma bint Ali is an FAO Goodwill Ambassador for the Near East and North Africa and an Ambassador for the Black Jaguar Foundation, which is working on restoring the longest biodiversity corridor in South America. She has been awarded many medals for her work, the most prominent of which were bestowed by HM King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein: the Silver Jubilee Medal (February 2025) and the Order of the State Centennial (January 2022). In addition, she received the Henry Shaw Medal from the Missouri Botanical Garden for her pioneering work in raising awareness among Jordanians about the importance of conserving native plants and protecting the environment. In 2002, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) elected her as a laureate in the Global 500 Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievements. In 1998, she became the first Arab woman to receive the title of Hero for the Planet from Time Magazine.

Princess Basma has published papers and earlier served for 12 years in the Jordanian Armed Forces, reaching the rank of Major. She was awarded the Order of Merit Decoration in 1998 and the King Hussein Gold Medal for Excellence in 1995.