How an Arctic vault may save humanity

What is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault?

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault lies on an Arctic island only about 500 miles (some 800 km) south of the North Pole, belonging to Norway. Inside is the largest collection of genetic plant resources in the world.

What is germplasm?

What exactly is germplasm? Germplasm in a broad sense is any type of plant matter that can be used to study the genetic nature of any given plant. This can be seeds, leaves, or even an entire plant. All sorts of germplasm are kept in the Svalbard Vault, not just seeds.

The state of agriculture today

Even today, climate change, geopolitics, and irresponsible agriculture policies are having damaging effects on the world's food supply. Loss in biodiversity, extreme floods and droughts, and mass extinctions all factor into the planet's ability to grow food.

Why is crop diversity important?

Biodiversity in agriculture is one of the greatest safeguards against food shortages in a rapidly changing climate. The more we rely on monocultures like corn, the more we put ourselves in danger of worldwide hunger. As the Earth continues to warm, the conditions suitable for our major crops will continue to disappear. Diversity in agriculture ensures that if one crop fails, we are prepared with other crops to take its place, avoiding worldwide starvation.

The best environment for seed preservation

The extreme coldness of Svalbard Island and the freezing conditions within the Vault are essential to germplasm preservation. The colder the environment, the slower the seeds and other types of plant matter can mature, essentially keeping them young and viable for as long as possible.

Who runs the Vault?

The Vault is jointly run and managed by the government of Norway, the Crop Trust, and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen). The Crop Trust is a non-profit organization that foots most of the bill for the maintenance of the Vault, while NordGen handles day-to-day operations, recordkeeping, and oversees seed shipments in and out of the vault.

Who participates?

Over 100 countries worldwide have contributed to the Seed Vault, either with seeds or financial support. Seeing as the Vault is a project that benefits all of humanity, most countries in the world support the project in whatever way they can.

Deep in the mountain

After making it through the tunnel, the building consists of five rooms. There is a control center, for monitoring internal and external temperatures and for cataloging all of the materials in the vault; next is a generator room that powers all of the air cooling machines in the Vault; and, finally, there are three separate vault rooms at the very back of the complex.

How exactly are the seeds preserved?

When the Seed Vault first opened in 2008, seeds were kept in glass vials. Today, however, the Vault has transitioned to three-ply aluminum foil packets. When boxes of seeds arrive at the facility, they are never once opened by staff or anyone else to ensure their safety until they are sent back out.

Who can access the Vault?

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is looked after and maintained by employees of NordGen, but the germplasm within is still the property of the seed banks around the world that sent them in, and thus are not accessible by anyone within the facility. The Vault acts like a safety deposit box at any other type of bank.

The Nordic Gene Bank

It was in 1984 that NordGen, previously known as the Nordic Gene Bank, opened a small-scale seed bank in an abandoned Norwegian coal mine. The organizers of NordGen quickly began to develop the idea of a seed vault that operated on a global scale.

The Plant Treaty

Three years later, in 2004, members of the Plant Treaty approached Norway about the possibility of constructing and maintaining an international seed bank on Norwegian territory. Norway accepted, and construction in Svalbard began that same year.

'Perpetual Repercussion'

Stretching across the roof and down the front of the entrance to the Vault is an art piece by Norwegian artist Dyveke Sanne titled 'Perpetual Repercussion.' The installation, made up of stainless steel and mirrored prisms, helps the Vault stand out against its mostly barren surroundings.

The 2016 water intrusion scare

One of the big reasons that Svalbard was chosen was because of the permafrost present that, by definition, is supposed to stay mostly frozen year round. But in 2016, during a record-breaking heat wave in the Arctic, melting permafrost leaked into the tunnel that leads to the vaults, prompting Norway to reinforce the tunnel's seals to prevent any leaking in the future.

Alfalfa

Alfalfa, for example, is an essential crop in agriculture. Planting alfalfa promotes healthy soil for other crops to thrive in, and positively affects insect diversity in fields and farms.

Corn

Admittedly, corn might not be as surprising a choice as alfalfa. Corn, or maize, is far and away the most used agricultural product in the world. Its importance cannot be overstated.