Protecting the world’s agricultural future - one seed at a time

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, also known as the Arctic seed vault, is receiving its most diverse collection of seed donations yet in an effort to secure global food supplies amidst growing climate concerns.

The vault, located on Norway's Spitsbergen island, serves as a backup for national and regional gene banks, safeguarding the genetic code of plant species. Currently, its total collection is over 1.2 million samples. 

 

To mark its 15th anniversary, the vault opened its doors to the public through a virtual tour of its underground chambers, which are kept at temperatures of around -18 degrees Celsius. 

 

"The whole of humanity relies on the genetic diversity of crops maintained in the world’s gene banks, and the Seed Vault is the last line of defence against the loss of that diversity," said Sandra Borch, Minister of Agriculture and Food for Norway.

 

Read the full article here.

 

Alfa Laval is honoured to have been part of the construction of the seed bank, having built the vault’s cooling system. Click here to learn more about the partnership between Alfa Laval and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.