Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Welcome to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Way up north, in the permafrost, 1300 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle, is the world's largest secure seed storage, 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.

A global backstop

The vault hold the seeds of many tens of thousands of varieties of essential food crops such as beans, wheat and rice. In total, the vault now holds seeds of more than 4000 plant species. These seed samples are duplicates of seed sample stores in national, regional and international gene banks.

Contact Information

Seeds remain depositors' property

The Seed Bank was established and is fully funded by the Norwegian government, with the responsibility for operations assigned to The Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The Ministry coordinates daily operation with the Nordic Gene Resource Centre and the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and receives guidance from a dedicated international council established to advise the Seed Bank.

Svalbard Global Seed Vault – a new video

Way up north, in the permafrost, 1300 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle, is the world's largest secure seed storage. A new video produced by the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food tells the story about the Vault.

Current

New retrievement of seeds from Svalbard Global Seed Vault to replace Alleppo gene bank

2017-09-06: At the same time when ICARDA brings back to the Seed Vault 7 511 samples from last years multiplication of seeds at their stations in Lebanon and Morocco, 52 451 seeds samples, initially sent to the Svalbard from their gene bank in Aleppo, Syria, is now on their way back for reconstructing new complete gene bank collections at these two new locations.

The Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) in Singapore became the depositor number 70 to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

First deposition of seeds from Singapore

2016-10-18: By the hand-over of the seedbags of rice to Jon Georg Dale, the Minister of Agricultre and Food, the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) in Singapore became the depositor number 70 to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The Seed Cermony took place during the Signapore State Visit to Norway.

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