Have you heard of the Global Seed Vault in the Svalbard archipelago? Almost one million seed samples from all over the world are stored here for humanity’s use in the event of a major global disaster. Opened in February 2008, the seed vault was built by Norway deep inside an Arctic mountain on the remote island of Spitsbergen.
It was the recognition of the vulnerability of the world’s genebanks that sparked the idea of establishing a global seed vault to serve as a backup storage facility. The purpose of the Vault is to store duplicates (backups) of seed samples from the world’s crop collections.
Permafrost and thick rock ensure that the seed samples will remain frozen even without power. The Vault is the ultimate insurance policy for the world’s food supply, offering options for future generations to overcome the challenges of climate change and population growth. It will secure millions of seeds representing every important crop variety available in the world today. It is the final back up.
Credit : Crop Trust
Picture Credit : Google
