Over 30,000 new seed samples from 23 depositors across 21 countries, including seven international genebanks have been deposited at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault yesterday to conserve crop diversity in the face of escalating climate change, conflict among others.

This represents the highest number of depositors since the Seed Vault's record of 35 genebanks in 2020. The deposit features first-time contributions from genebanks in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Chad, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, and Suriname.

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), an international genebank located in India, has deposited 2,950 seeds from 56 species, including pearl millet, sorghum, and 28 wild relatives of peanuts (Arachis), nine of which are new to the Seed Vault. These wild relatives serve as a high-protein feed source for livestock and contribute nitrogen to various farming systems. ICRISAT has also contributed seeds for a 100-year experiment in collaboration with six partners, aimed at periodically assessing the viability of these food staple seeds.

The 400-year-old Universidad Mayor Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca, one of the oldest universities in the Americas, is making Bolivia's inaugural deposit by safely duplicating maize and bean varieties that are deeply rooted in Indigenous cultures. The collection was assembled with the help of approximately 125 farming families from local communities, who are recognized as "Seed Guardians."

The project coordinator of BOLD in Bolivia, Alfredo José Salinas Arcienega, stated that the deposit is not only about conserving crops but also about safeguarding our culture.

"Each maize variety holds cultural significance for Indigenous communities. As early season drought and frost threaten traditional farming practices, these seeds become a lifeline for both our agricultural and cultural heritage,” he said.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines is contributing over 7,000 rice samples, marking the largest number in this deposit. This is a vital contribution, as rice is a staple food for more than half of the global population. Philippines National Genebank, the National Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory, is depositing nearly 1,000 seeds from 14 different crops, including sorghum, an important cereal, and okra, a nutrient-rich vegetable in high demand in export markets like Korea.

A newcomer to the Seed Vault, the Institut Tchadien de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, is depositing 1,145 samples of sesame, rice, maize, and sorghum. This contribution is especially important because these crop varieties are well-adapted to Chad's harsh climate, making them essential for developing crops that can endure rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall.

The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) genebank in Tanzania is depositing over 100 accessions of vegetables and other crops, addressing a critical gap in conservation. Currently, less than 10% of accessions in genebanks represent the more than 1,100 vegetable species globally. This is also part of the efforts to rescue and conserve vegetable diversity to combat malnutrition.

“The WorldVeg genebank in Tanzania has a direct line to farmers, who — through seed kits containing a variety of vegetable seeds, including leafy amaranth and okra — grow and sell these crops to supermarkets,” said Maarten van Zonneveld, Head of Genetic Resources at WorldVeg.

Sudan’s Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Research Centre (APGRC) has prepared hundreds of samples of sorghum and pearl millet seeds with support from BOLD. Despite ongoing conflict in the country and limited access to the main national genebank in Wad Medani, genebank staff successfully assembled the seeds. Security trucks were used to transport the seeds to Port Sudan for shipment. NordGen will sort, catalogue, and dry each seed sample before the final transfer to Svalbard in February 2025.

Seeds have also been contributed from another area of intense conflict. The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) in Palestine has delivered seeds from 21 species of vegetables, legumes, and herbs. Many of these seeds represent “opportunity crops” that can thrive in difficult conditions and have significant potential to enhance food security, nutrition, and resilience to climate change. Due to evolving trends in food and agriculture, these crops have often been overlooked in people's diets and policymakers' plans. This includes varieties like okra, millet, and pigeon pea.

With generous financial support from Norway through the ‘Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods, and Development’ (BOLD) project, the Crop Trust is offering both financial and technical assistance to various countries to help them preserve their seed collections for the long term.

Executive director of the Crop Trust, Stefan Schmitz, noted that climate change and conflict threaten infrastructure and food security for over 700 million people across more than 75 countries. He emphasized that genebanks are intensifying efforts to back up seed collections, and the Crop Trust is proud to provide a secure refuge in Svalbard.

“Genebanks are ramping up efforts to back up seed collections, and we are proud to support them by providing a safe haven in Svalbard,” said Stefan.

Experts have pointed to climate data indicating that 2023 is the hottest year on record, by a significant margin, highlighting the negative impacts on food security. They noted that among the 30 deadliest weather events recorded in Africa, five occurred in 2022-2023, while Asia continues to be the world's most disaster-prone region. Yields of major cereals in sub-Saharan Africa are less than half of the global average, therefore necessitating the urgent need to conserve, explore, and utilize the diversity of both underappreciated crops and well-known staples found in the world's genebanks.

Executive director of the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen), Lise Lykke Steffensen, emphasized that humanity relies on a diverse array of genetic resources to tackle future challenges. She expressed her satisfaction that numerous genebanks have chosen to participate in this seed deposit initiative.

 “The Seed Vault has an important purpose to secure these valuable collections, not least given the state of the world today. We are pleased to continue working on this task.”

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault operates through a collaboration involving the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Crop Trust, and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen). It acts as an essential backup for gene banks worldwide.

Norway’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, Geir Pollestad, stated that the Seed Vault exemplifies the importance of international cooperation and highlights Norway's commitment to this collaboration.

"In a world where climate change and conflict pose ever-growing threats to food security and sovereignty, this facility ensures that the genetic diversity we need to adapt our food systems remains available to all.”