Pioneers of Arctic Seed Vault Awarded 2024 World Food Prize

Cary Fowler and Geoffrey Hawtin recognized for their groundbreaking work in safeguarding global crop diversity against future crises.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, established in 2008, now houses 1.25 million seed samples from nearly every nation, designed to protect against environmental and political upheavals.
Fowler and Hawtin, who began their project by envisioning a secure backup for global seed banks, have been instrumental in preserving over 6,000 crop varieties.
The World Food Prize, amounting to $500,000, honors significant contributions to enhancing the quality, quantity, or availability of food worldwide.
The award highlights the importance of long-term security measures in agriculture, especially as climate change introduces new threats to global food stability.
Their efforts underscore the ongoing need for funding and international cooperation to maintain and expand seed bank operations globally.