Svalbard Global Seed Vault: How to feed a warming world?

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: This fundamentally important question was addressed by more than 60 participants from governments, universities, industry and NGOs from all over the world, who were gathered at Svalbard for the celebration of the first Anniversary of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

The Anniversary seminar ”Frozen seeds in a frozen Mountain - Feeding a Warming World”, 25-27 February,  discussed  the challenges of climate change with a focus on food security and biological diversity.

• See the summary statement (pdf, 28 mb)

• See the programme and presentations

The concluding message from the seminar is that climatic change will place unprecedented pressures on agriculture. New crop varieties are needed to maintain the level of food production under the climate changes predicted for the 21st century in all IPCC scenarios, irrespective of any action taken today. Plant breeders are dependent on genetic diversity from many countries to adapt crops to changing climatic conditions. This biological diversity is under continuous threat. All countries should recognize their responsibility for food production and the need for international collaboration in this regard.

At the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December 2009 the need to conserve and make available crop diversity as the bedrock of all plant breeding efforts must be recognised as a fundamental component of climate change adaption.

See the summary statement here

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: This fundamentally important question was addressed by more than 60 participants from governments, universities, industry and NGOs from all over the world, who were gathered at Svalbard for the celebration of the first Anniversary of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.