More news about Svalbard Global Seed Vault

A Task for Eternity

Deep inside a mountain on an island in the Svalbard archipelago, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, more than one million seeds of crops from around the world are stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The storage facility thus contains the world’s largest backup collection of seed samples. By establishing the Seed Vault, Norway has taken on a global task that will never be completed. The best way to manage this responsibility is to do so in an eternal perspective.

A Task for Eternity

Deep inside a mountain on an island in the Svalbard archipelago, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, more than one million seeds of crops from around the world are stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The storage facility thus contains the world’s largest backup collection of seed samples. By establishing the Seed Vault, Norway has taken on a global task that will never be completed. The best way to manage this responsibility is to do so in an eternal perspective.

By Minister of Agriculture and Food Olaug Vervik Bollestad

Successful seed deposit despite the pandemic

In the midst of the ongoing global pandemic, gene banks are sending backup copies of their seeds to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. This week, around 15,000 new bags of seeds from eight gene banks were safely placed on the shelves in the seed vault.

Major Seed deposit at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Longyearbyen

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

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.

General statement by the Minister of Agriculture and Food of Norway

Excellences, Chairperson, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, Let me start by congratulating the Director General elect, Dr. Qu Dongyu. We look forward to cooperating with you. To outgoing Director General, Dr. José Graziano da Silva, we thank you for

By Minister of Agriculture and Food Olaug Vervik Bollestad FAO- Generalkonferans,  Roma 2019

1 million seed samples are now stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Today, just over 76,000 new seed samples were carried into Svalbard Global Seed Vault for long-term storage. This means that the seed vault now holds more than 1 million seed samples from gene banks worldwide. Norway's Miinister for Agriculture and Food, Jon Georg Dale, hosted today's anniversary celebration as representatives from 23 international gene banks carried their seed samples into the vault.

The government proposes to allocate 100 million NOK to upgrade the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

After ten years of operation, it is time for technical improvements at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The measures are part of a long-term plan to enhance the performance and extend the viability of the seed vault. The government is now proposing a start-up grant of 100 million NOK in 2018 (circa 10 million Euro or 12.7 million USD).

Ten-year anniversary of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Minister of Agriculture and Food Jon Georg Dale in cooperation with Crop Trust and NordGen is pleased to host a celebration of the tenth anniversary of Svalbard Global Seed Vault. From February 25. to 27., depositors and partners from all over the world will meet in Longyearbyen to attend the "Seed Vault Summit", and to be present when a new seed delivery from 20 international gene banks is carried into the seed vault.

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

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.

Water intrusion at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

The Royal Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Statsbygg, Norway are implementing measures to prevent the season-dependent intrusion of water into the seed vault’s access tunnel. Until then: When water intrudes into the outer part of the seed vault, the water is immediately pumped out again by pumps that work around the clock. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is the world's backup for crop collections. It currently safeguards more than 930,000 different varieties. The seeds are completely safe and no damage has been done to the facility. Globally, the Seed Vault is, and will continue to be, the safest backup of crop diversity.

New seeds from Syria to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

For the first time, seeds that had been retrieved from secure storage have been returned to the seed vault in Svalbard. Forced to retrieve seed deposits from Svalbard in the fall of 2015, the international research centre ICARDA, previously operating out of Aleppo, Syria, was last week returning newly recultivated seed stock.

First deposition of seeds from Singapore

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.

Preserving biodiversity through active agriculture

Trondheim conference on Biodiversity 31st May 2016

By State Secretary Hanne Maren Blåfjelldal

Norway contributes to Plant Treaty funds

Norway will soon disburse near 800 000 NOK to the International Plant Treaty Fund for benefit sharing. This amounts to 0.1 percent of the value of the agricultural seeds and plant material trade in Norway in 2015. This annual contribution from Norwegian agriculture is made in recognition of the contribution which farmers in developing countries are making to preserve plant diversity.

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.

10,000 new seed samples into the vault in October

Five gene banks and research centers on four continents deposited seeds at this year's fifth and final opening of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. A total of 10,060 new seed samples, from gene banks in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe, were added to the stores.

Svalbard Global Seed Vault returns seeds to Syrian Gene Bank

In September 2015, 128 crates of seeds for a total of 38.000 seed samples from ICARDA, the International Gene Bank of Syria, were returned from Svalbard Global Seed Vault on ICARDA's request. The seeds will now be sown at ICARDA's research stations in Lebanon and Morocco. The seeds will be recultivated immediately to provide farmers, scientists and developers new, freshly grown seed material. Future plans call for a minor lot to be returned to Svalbard for further long-term vault storage. This is the first time a gene bank has retrieved seeds from the seed vault.

EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety to visit Svalbard

The EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety V. Andriukaitis visits Svalbard with the Norwegian Minister of Agriculture and Food Sylvi Listhaug and the Minister of Health and Care Services Bent Høie 20th to 22nd of September.

Potato seed deposit at Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Delegations from Peru and Costa Rica will deposit potato seeds at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault this week. State Secretary Hanne Maren Blaafjelldal participates at the seed deposit together with, among others, Costa Rica's Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, mr Arauz Cavallini, and the Director-General of FAO, mr José Graziano da Silva.