More than 30 000 new seed samples deposited in Svalbard Global Seed Vault
News story | Date: 23/10/2024 | Ministry of Agriculture and Food
The Global Seed Vault in Svalbard received more than 30 000 new seed samples from 21 countries from Palestine and Sudan among other countries.
– The Svalbard Global Seed Vault demonstrates the value of international cooperation and Norway's role in this cooperation. In a world where climate change and conflict pose ever-growing threats to food security and sovereignty, this facility ensures that the genetic diversity we need to adapt our food systems remains available to all Geir Pollestad, Norway’s Minister of Agriculture and Food said.
More than 30 000 seed samples were deposited in the Global Seed Vault this week. This marks the second-largest deposit event since the Vault's inception in 2008. Also palestinian and sudanese contributions were made to the vault. The palestinian contribution consists of 21 samples of vegetables, millet and herbs. The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) is the supplier of the palestinian seed samples. The sudanese contribution consists of hundreds of samples of sorghum and pearl millet seeds provided by Sudan’s Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Research Centre (APGRC).
NordGen will sort and catalogue every seed sample before the final transfer to the Seed Vault on Svalbard in February 2025.
|
Seed deposits October 2024 |
Country |
Accessions |
Boxes |
Crops |
|
SPGRC |
Zambia |
196 |
2 |
30 crop species, vegetables, millets, sorghum etc. |
|
World Vegetable Centre (Tanzania department) |
Tanzania |
2137 |
3 |
108 species/subspecies, mainly vegetables |
|
Suceava Genebank ”Mihai Cristea” |
Romania |
158 |
1 |
36 species of cereals, legumes, vegetables, herbs etc. |
|
NRSSL |
Thailand |
72 |
1 |
rice |
|
Zambia Agr. Research Institute, National Plant Genetic Resources Centre (ZARI) (S4R and BOLD) |
Zambia |
392 |
3 |
15 species, maize, vigna beans, ground nut, finger millet, pearl millet, pigeon pea etc. |
|
ICRISAT |
India |
2950 |
5 |
56 species and subspecies, most pearl millet, sorghum and Arachis (9 new species of Arachis) |
|
Institut d'Economie Rural (BOLD) |
Mali |
212 |
1 |
Maize |
|
Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) |
Palestine |
23 |
1 |
21 species, vegetables, legumes, herbs |
|
CIMMYT |
Mexico |
5442 |
15 |
Aegilops, wheat and maize |
|
National Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory (BOLD) |
Philippines |
983 |
5 |
14 species/subspecies, beans, sorghum, tomatoes, maize, okra, peppers etc. |
|
University of Costa Rica (BOLD) |
Costa Rica |
130 |
1 |
7 phaseolus bean species |
|
IRRI |
Philippines |
7260 |
21 |
rice |
|
ILRI |
Ethiopia |
1750 |
2 |
447 species/subspecies, many not deposited in the Seed Vault before |
|
Institut Tchadien de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (new BOLD) |
Chad |
1145 |
7 |
16 species, most Sorghum, Sesamum, rice and maize |
|
CIP |
Peru |
20 |
1 |
sweet potatoes |
|
Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) (BOLD new) |
Bangladesh |
725 |
2 |
35 species of different crop groups, 302 rice, then different tropical vegetables etc. |
|
National Agricultural Research Institute (BOLD new) |
Papua New Guinea |
520 |
1 |
sweet potatoes |
|
Anne van Dijk Rice Research Centre Nickerie (New, Bold) |
Suriname |
577 |
3 |
Rice |
|
National Horticultural Research Institute (new, BOLD) |
Nigeria |
200 |
2 |
Two okra species and peppers |
|
Malawi Plant Genetic Resources Centre, Chitedze Research Station (New, BOLD) |
Malawi |
803 |
4 |
19 species, 325 sorghum and diff. crops |
|
Instituto de Agroecologia y Seguridad Alimentaria, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias (new, BOLD) |
Bolivia |
500 |
6 |
maize and beans |
|
Agricultural University of Tirana (BOLD) |
Albania |
850 |
13 |
18 species, 350 maize, 300 wheat + vegetables etc. |
|
ICARDA |
Morocco |
2292 |
18 |
Chick pea, barley and lentils |
|
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (BOLD) |
Malaysia |
518 |
2 |
Rice, a few Solanum and vigna |
|
IHAR |
Poland |
1290 |
3 |
Wheat, rye and tomatoes |
|
|
|
31145 |
123
|
|
– Climate change and conflict threaten infrastructure and impact food security for over 300 million people in more than 75 countries worldwide. Genebanks are ramping up efforts to back-up seed collections, and we are proud to support them by providing a safe haven in Svalbard, said Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Crop Trust said.
Many of the seeds in this deposit represent “opportunity crops” that can thrive in challenging conditions and have untapped potential to improve food security, nutrition, and resilience to climate change. They include crops like okra, millets and pigeon pea.
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. Each seed sample may prove to be useful to farmers and scientists.
– These seeds are the building blocks for climate-resilient crops that can withstand extreme weather, pests, and diseases," said Lise Lykke Steffensen, Executive Director of the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen). “They are also a living testament to the resilience of agriculture and human society.
About the Crop Trust
The Crop Trust is an international organization working to conserve crop diversity and thus protect global food and nutrition security. At the core of Crop Trust is an endowment fund dedicated to providing guaranteed long-term financial support to key genebanks worldwide. The Crop Trust supports the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and coordinates large-scale projects worldwide to secure crop diversity and make it available for use, globally forever and for the benefit of everyone. The Crop Trust is recognized as an essential element of the funding strategy of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
- Learn more at www.croptrust.org.
About NordGen
NordGen is the Nordic countries’ genebank and knowledge center for genetic resources. As the operational manager of the Seed Vault, NordGen is responsible for handling the seeds inside the Seed Vault; communicating with genebanks; and maintaining a publicly accessible online database with information on the seed samples stored in the Seed Vault (seedvault.nordgen.org).
- Read more about Nordgen at www.nordgen.org/en
About the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food
The Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food is the legal and administrative body of the Seed Vault and has the overall responsibility for its management, security and funding. The Ministry has assigned Statsbygg, the key adviser on construction and property to the Norwegian Government to be responsible for the construction and maintenance of the Seed Vault.
- For more information see www.regjeringen.no