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.
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
Major Seed deposit at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Longyearbyen
25/02/2020: Today, 36 genebanks from all continents deposited seeds at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, at a deposit event hosted by Norwegian Prime Minister and co-chair ofthe UN group of SDG Advocates, Erna Solberg. President of Ghana and co-chair Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other members of the Group of Advocate salso participated at the event.
New suppliers for the seed vault
01/11/2019: For the first time, seeds were received from the Slovak gene bank, as well as from Poland, to Svalbard's Global seed vault. With the two new suppliers, deposits from 78 different gene banks are now stored in the vault.
Latest news
- Major Seed deposit at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Longyearbyen News story 25/02/2020
- New suppliers for the seed vault News story 01/11/2019
- 1 million seed samples are now stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault News story 26/02/2018
- The government proposes to allocate 100 million NOK to upgrade the Svalbard Global Seed Vault News story 23/02/2018
- Ten-year anniversary of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault News story 22/02/2018
- New retrievement of seeds from Svalbard Global Seed Vault to replace Alleppo gene bank News story 06/09/2017
- Water intrusion at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault News story 22/05/2017