Also known as the World Seed Bank, this place serves as a depository to store the seeds of thousands of species in the world, with the aim of preserving a sample of all the seeds on the planet. This Noah’s Ark, opened by the Norwegian government, began its activity in 2008, with the purpose of preserving the planet’s biodiversity. The idea, however, arose a few decades ago, specifically in 1948, when the Genetic Bank with plant seeds of Scandinavian origin preserved in a disused mine.
According to the website of the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture: From all over the world, boxes of seeds are shipped here for safe and secure long-term storage in the cold, dry rock vaults.. Currently there are more than a million samples stored and more than 6,000 species from 249 different countries, which translates into more than 10,000 years of agricultural history. Furthermore, the ownership of these samples will belong to the gene banks that deposited them there.
As you transmit it Asmund Asdal, guardian of the Global Bank of Svalvard, who stated in a BBVA interview: We currently have more than 1.1 million seed samples. Each sample contains between 300 and 500 seeds, which means that in here we have half a billion different varieties, around a thousand different crops and around 5,000 different species. Currently we have more than 1.1 million seed samples. Each sample contains between 300 and 500 seeds, which means that in here we have half a billion different varieties, around a thousand different crops and around 5,000 different species, he added.
In the same way, The Crop Trustan organization whose goal is to ensure that humanity preserves the diversity of its plants, remembers that Something as mundane as a poorly functioning freezer can ruin an entire collection. And the loss of a variety of plants is as irreversible as the extinction of a dinosaur, an animal or any form of life..
Why was this place chosen to house the seeds?
The choice of this island, located outside the town of Longyearbyen, 1,000 kilometers from the North Pole, and with barely 2,000 inhabitants, is due to several factors. To begin with, it is a safe place, since it is considered an environmentally protected space. Furthermore, the deposit, which is divided into three warehouses and extends over more than a thousand square meters underground, It has capacity for 4.5 million varieties of crops.
Likewise, the vault is located in a cave 150 meters deep in a sandstone mountain, so it is protected by the permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of soil that allows better conservation of low temperatures. This It allows temperatures to be maintained permanently at -18, even without additional refrigeration, and keeps the structure safe from possible earthquakes, radiation or volcanic activity. In fact, in the event of total electronic failure, the temperature would remain below 0 Celsius for at least 200 years.
In between the countries that donate the most to the World Seed Bank Mexico is located. The organization in charge of making its deposits is the International Corn and Wheat Improvement Center, since it has one of the most important corn and wheat geoplasm banks in the world.
An initiative that aims to anticipate climate change
Over the next few decades, crop yields are expected to increase decrease by 33% due to increased temperatures, pests and high levels of salinity in the soil. Likewise, some forecasts indicate that all these factors will cause hunger in the world to increase, increasing the numbers of people at risk of food security, which currently total 821 million.
Although there are several seed banks on the planet, none is as safe as Svalbard. An example of this is the National Photogenic Resources Laboratory of the University of the Philippines, which on more than one occasion has lost numerous samples after suffering numerous floods and fires.
Therefore, experts recommend always send a copy of the sample to Svalbard, since in case of suffering a catastrophe they will have the option of recovering it. Although, it should be noted that not all seeds are accepted in this bank, since the deposit only accepts those that are necessary to ensure the future of agriculture. In addition, the seeds that are accepted will undergo various controls to verify that they are not drugs or genetically modified material.
Although the place does not allow visitors to enter, those in charge have launched a website with which we can make a tour virtual of space, without having to go to Google Street View. In addition, the option is offered to make this visit together with a virtual guide who will be in charge of explaining and informing about the operation of the interior of this place.
Madrid has already stored 16 species
In the case of our country, This Tuesday the Community of Madrid sent 13 seeds of tomatoes and various cereals which have been added to the other three species that were previously deposited in Norway in 2022. This initiative has been carried out through the Madrid Institute for Rural, Agrarian and Food Research and Development (IMIDRA). In the same way, other autonomous communities coordinated by the National Center for Photogenic Resources of CSIC have also participated.
The varieties have been chosen for their nutritional qualities in addition to being to consumer taste, as explained by Victoria Colombo, IMDRA horticulture expert. Furthermore, the eight types of cereals that have been transferred are grains generated by IMDRA that are no longer sold on the market, but that are of great interest due to their contribution to obtaining improved species. In total, according to the figures, nearly 300 types of vegetables, fruits and vegetables native to Madrid are preserved.
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