Norway / Modern
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Deep inside an Arctic mountain, genebanks store duplicate seeds as insurance against the loss of their own collections.
A backup can be a physical place. This one protects the possibility of growing familiar crops in an uncertain future.
A CLOSER LOOK
The vault sits more than 100 metres inside a mountain on Svalbard. Institutions from around the world send duplicate seed samples for secure storage. The seeds remain the property of the depositing institutions.
Its purpose is to support the existing network of genebanks. When collections elsewhere are lost or damaged, deposited duplicates offer a way to recover them. Seen this way, the vault is one part of a worldwide effort to preserve agricultural diversity.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
Svalbard Global Seed VaultAbout the vaultOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.