Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Norway praised for the seed vault

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk was praised by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that Norway had the idea and the ability to carry out the building of Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

“The seed vault exemplifies how climate change will affect agriculture and how the world can use plant genetic resources to be prepared,” said Brekk in his welcome address to the UN Secretary General.

• Read the whole welcome address here

“I would like to thank Norway for offering the world this opportunity to take care of genetic diversity. That the country has been so forward looking and visionary as to make such an offer deserves the respect of all. This is also an important contribution to the work of limiting climate change,” said Ban Ki-Moon.

After a somewhat dramatic but successful attempt to reach the edge of the ice north of Ny Ålesund, the General Secretary arrived in Longyearbyen on Wednesday morning, together with his host, Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim. First item on the programme was a visit to Svalbard Global Seed Vault, where Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk welcomed Mr Ban and showed him the hall in which all the seeds are stored. The highpoint was to locate the seeds which had come from his homeland of South Korea.

• Read Ban Ki-Moon's adress here (pdf, 39 Kb)

An obligation
“New crop varieties are needed to maintain the level of food production under the climate changes predicted for the 21st century. We must consider it an obligation to find a common understanding in Copenhagen in December,” said Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk.

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and  Minister of Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk. Photo: Ministry of Agriculture and Food