Svalbard Seed Vault Adds 14,000 New Samples from Crisis-Affected Nations

The Arctic facility secures plant diversity against climate change, conflict, and natural disasters, with new contributions from countries like Sudan and the Philippines.

• The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located on Norway's Svalbard archipelago, has received 14,000 new seed samples, bringing its total collection to over a million samples from around 85 countries.
• Recent deposits include millet from Sudan and key crops from the Philippines, both countries facing severe challenges like conflict and natural disasters.
• The vault serves as a global backup for plant genetic diversity, safeguarding seeds in a secure, permafrost-cooled facility that remains frozen even during power outages.
• Countries such as Sudan have turned to the vault after losing significant portions of their national seed collections due to ongoing civil conflict.
• The facility highlights the importance of international cooperation in preserving biodiversity and ensuring future food security in the face of escalating global crises.

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