Crop Trust: 12,000 seed samples deposited in Svalbard Global Seed Vault this week

In a significant move towards securing the global food future, nearly 12,000 seed samples from 18 genebanks are being deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault this week. This deposit includes crucial varieties of sorghum from Sudan's crop genebank to essential seeds of rice, beans, and maize from Brazil, the host of this year's global climate negotiations. The Executive Director of Crop Trust, Stefan Schmitz, emphasized that this moment serves as a stark reminder of the collective action required to safeguard the global food supply. The initiative aims to address the pressing challenges faced by food systems worldwide, including sustainability issues, risks highlighted by events like the pandemic and conflicts, soil degradation, water scarcity, and the impacts of climate change. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, established as a backup facility for crop diversity, plays a crucial role in preserving the genetic resources of edible plants. Stefan Schmitz highlighted the importance of conserving crop diversity in seed banks to facilitate the development of new varieties better suited to evolving environmental conditions, pests, diseases, and consumer preferences. The vault, located close to the North Pole, serves as a secure repository for the diversity preserved in genebanks worldwide, ensuring the continuity of research and breeding programs in the face of potential risks like natural disasters or conflicts that could impact existing genebanks. The ongoing effort to deposit seeds in the Seed Vault has been a collaborative endeavor spanning two decades, involving partnerships with nearly 200 seed banks globally. With over 1.3 million seed varieties already secured in the vault, there remains a capacity to store approximately 4 million seed samples. Plans are in place to gather an additional 2 million samples over the upcoming years to enhance genetic diversity conservation. The recent deposit of seeds from 19 countries, including contributions from African nations, Brazil, the Philippines, and various regions worldwide, marks a significant milestone in advancing this conservation initiative. Stefan Schmitz reiterated the urgency to accelerate the collection and storage of seed samples to meet the target within the next 5 to 10 years, underscoring the importance of expediting efforts to safeguard crop diversity. The collaborative nature of the project reflects a shared commitment to ensuring food security on a global scale, emphasizing the critical role of genetic resources in developing resilient and sustainable agricultural practices. As the journey towards food security continues, initiatives like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault serve as vital pillars in securing the future of food production.