Fourteen genebanks are depositing 11,206 seed samples this week in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, including vegetables and traditional crops vital both for cultural heritage and for nutrition and climate resilience.
The world’s largest crop diversity repository will receive seeds of cultural staples such as Korea’s perilla and adzuki bean, Dutch heritage cabbage and spinach varieties, and Benin’s ancient cereal fonio and melon.
This 67th deposit adds to over 1.3 million accessions already stored in the Seed Vault, located deep in the Arctic permafrost on Norway’s Spitsbergen island. The facility is managed by the Norwegian Government, NordGen, and the Crop Trust, according to a press release.
Several genebanks are contributing with support from the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) project, funded by Norway and managed by the Crop Trust. BOLD grants aid partners in regenerating seed collections and backing them up in Svalbard.
A Debut, a Milestone, and a Major Contribution
New to the Vault and supported by BOLD, Can Tho University in Vietnam is depositing 1,000 rice samples reflecting the crop’s diversity in the Mekong Delta, including both improved varieties and traditional landraces.
The Seed Savers Exchange, the only genebank to deposit seeds annually since the Vault opened in 2008, celebrates its 50th anniversary with a new batch of 16 heirloom varieties, including arugula, barley, beans, collard, cowpea, cucumber, eggplant, flax, lettuce, millet, okra, poppy, rutabaga, sesame, sunflower, and tomato. The U.S.-based nonprofit focuses on preserving America’s food heritage and genetic diversity.
“Backing up seeds brings peace of mind,” says Briana Smorstad, Seed Bank Manager at Seed Savers Exchange. “Preserving biodiversity in our crops and gardens often feels like an uphill battle, but sending seeds to Svalbard is a reminder that we’re not in this alone. There’s a global community of people who are doing the same work because they care deeply about crop diversity.”
Korea’s Rural Development Administration is depositing the largest number of samples this year — 4,000 accessions of important local crops such as rice, soybean, adzuki bean, barley, sesame, sorghum, foxtail millet, perilla, and radish — chosen for their cultural, economic, and genetic significance.
Eat the Rainbow, Save the Seeds
Other BOLD-supported genebanks from Benin and the Philippines shipped seeds of eggplant, tomato, pepper, and lima bean. Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization’s Genetic Resources Research Institute contributed through Seeds for Resilience, a project funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and led by the Crop Trust.
Ahead of the deposit, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Norwegian officials visited the Seed Vault. Lammy personally delivered 286 vegetable seed samples from the Warwick Genetic Resources Unit, including brassicas, carrots, and lettuce.
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