Global Seed Storage Facility: Svalbard Seed Bank
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, often referred to as a "Doomsday vault," is not a prophecy of impending disaster, but a vital resource for maintaining crop diversity. Located 1,300 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle, this cold environment seed bank is far from other gene banks, adding a security dimension to its function.
The vault, managed by Grethe Helene Evjen since its inception, currently stores approximately 1.35 to 1.4 million seed samples from over 6,000 species, contributed by about 129 depositors from nearly every country on Earth. Despite its potential capacity to hold up to 4.5 million seed samples, the actual number stored is significantly lower. As of spring 2019, there are 992,000 samples in the vault.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault was designed as a failsafe mechanism to protect food sources. Its main mission is to ensure food safety for future generations, acting as a backup for crop species that are dying out due to intensive agriculture and unpredictable weather patterns. It is not just for future generations, but it may be needed within the next 20 years.
In 2017, unusual warm and wet weather in Svalbard caused a flood in the tunnel leading to the vault. Although the flood did not reach the seeds, it was a concerning situation. The vault suffered a breach of its seal, but the seeds remained safe and undamaged.
The International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is one of the organisations that have retrieved samples from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The seeds have been crucial in restoring lost crop varieties and ensuring food security in regions affected by climate change and conflict.
The loss of crop diversity is significant, with about 80% of the varieties that were around in the early 1900s having been lost. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault plays a crucial role in preventing this loss by preserving a wide variety of seeds from around the world.
In conclusion, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is an essential resource for maintaining crop diversity and ensuring food security for future generations. Despite the challenges it has faced, such as the flood in 2017, the vault continues to serve its purpose as a vital backup for crop species that are dying out due to intensive agriculture and unpredictable weather patterns.
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