Largest deposit of seed to date in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault
News story | Date: 28/02/2024 | Last updated: 06/03/2024 | Ministry of Agriculture and Food
In February, around 14,000 seeds are being deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The seed vault now has more than 1.2 million seed duplicates from about 80 countries.
‘This is the largest seed deposit ever made in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault since it was established 16 years ago. The deposit shows that more and more countries and gene banks recognise the importance of the Svalbard Seed Vault. Climate change, natural disasters and war are making the world’s food production more vulnerable, and it is good to see more and more countries standing together for global food security and plant diversity. By safeguarding more than 1.2 million seeds from all over the world Norway has taken on an important responsibility,’ says Geir Pollestad, Minister of Agriculture and Food.
This deposit involves a total of nine new gene banks as depositors in the world's largest seed collection. There are 23 depositors, half of which come from Africa. The deposit ceremony was attended by representatives from a Kazakh gene bank. The Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Growing deposited fodder seed and grass seed.
‘When a country deposits seed for the first time, this is not a mere symbolic act, but a part of the country's preparedness work,’ Mr Pollestad continues.
Norway’s second forest seed deposit
This is Norway’s second forest seed deposit in the seed vault since it opened in 2008, by the Norwegian Forest Seed Centre.
‘It is about 10 years since we last deposited forest seed from Norway. We are now doing this for the second time, and securing forest seed is part of our strategy for future seed supply and forestry's adaptation to climate change,’ says the Minister of Agriculture and Food.
In 2015, the first seed from the Norwegian Forest Seed Centre was deposited. At that time, a selection of spruce and pine seed lots from both natural populations and seed plantations from all over Norway and from many different seed years were stored. The seed being stored this time is intended to reinforce existing deposits with newer seed lots of spruce and pine; in addition, the first processed seed lots of silver birch and European alder are being deposited.