Towards a watertight access tunnel
A separate service building that will host all the technical installations for the seed vault will be constructed, in order to improve the functionality and avoid unnecessary heating elements inside the facility. Statsbygg is in charge of the improvement work and has already conducted minor preparatory work during 2017. The seed storage that is placed…
Svalbard Global Seed Vault presented at Plant Treaty meeting in Kigali, Rwanda
Beautiful greenery, the African sun and +22°C (71°F) might not be the scenery most associated with Svalbard Global Seed Vault. But this week the Seed Vault, or at least representatives of it, travelled south to participate in valuable discussions concerning access and rights to plant’s genetic resources. – These are important issues as we are standing…
ICARDA seeds safe back in Lebanon and Morocco
Due to the conflict in Syria, ICARDA in 2015 became the first gene bank to withdraw seeds from their deposit in Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The second portion comprising 54354 seed samples in 161 boxes to be multiplied at ICARDA units in Terbol, Lebanon and Rabat, Morocco arrived safely now in October.
The International Advisory Panel meets in February
Six members have just accepted the appointment and confirmed that they will go to Svalbard and take part in the 10 year anniversary at the end of February 2018. The members representing depositing gene banks are: Ahmed Amri, head of gene bank at the International Centre for Agricultural Research for Dry Areas, ICARDA, based in…
New seeds from three gene banks in October
The deposit from CIAT consisted of bean and forage species. The bean collection comprised 881 seed samples and the forage collection consisted of 396 accessions, in total representing 135 different species and subspecies originating from 82 different countries. CIP works mainly with potatoes and other tuber crops, and the deposited samples are divided into three part collections; Collection…
Svalbard Global Seed Vault – a new video
Svalbard Global Seed Vault was opened by the Norwegian Government in February 2008. From all across the globe, crates of seeds are sent here for safe and secure long-term storage in cold and dry rock vaults. The Seed Bank was established and is fully funded by the Norwegian government, with the responsibility for…