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re-added previous edit. provided citations. corrected role of Vault.
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[[Image:Norvay-04 copy.jpg|thumb|Rendered visualisation of the Seed Vault]]
[[Image:Norvay-04 copy.jpg|thumb|Rendered visualisation of the Seed Vault]]
[[Image:Svalbard Global Seed Vault.jpg|thumb|Design of the Seed Vault as of early 2007]]
[[Image:Svalbard Global Seed Vault.jpg|thumb|Design of the Seed Vault as of early 2007]]
The '''Svalbard Global Seed Vault''' is a secure [[seedbank]] located on the [[Norway|Norwegian]] island of [[Spitsbergen]] near the town of [[Longyearbyen]] in the remote [[Arctic]] [[Svalbard]] [[archipelago]].<ref name="Charles2006">{{cite journal |title=A 'Forever' Seed Bank Takes Root in the Arctic |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |last=Charles |first=Daniel |volume=312 |pages=pp. 1730–1731 |date=[[2006-06-23]] |doi=10.1126/science.312.5781.1730b}}</ref> The facility was established to preserve a wide variety of plant seeds from locations worldwide in an underground cavern as insurance against ecological catastrophe. The island of Spitsbergen is about {{convert|1120|km}} from the [[North Pole]].
The '''Svalbard Global Seed Vault''' is a secure [[seedbank]] located on the [[Norway|Norwegian]] island of [[Spitsbergen]] near the town of [[Longyearbyen]] in the remote [[Arctic]] [[Svalbard]] [[archipelago]].<ref name="Charles2006">{{cite journal |title=A 'Forever' Seed Bank Takes Root in the Arctic |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |last=Charles |first=Daniel |volume=312 |pages=pp. 1730–1731 |date=[[2006-06-23]] |doi=10.1126/science.312.5781.1730b}}</ref> The facility was established to preserve a wide variety of plant seeds from locations worldwide in an underground cavern. The Seed Vault holds duplicate samples, or 'spare' copies, of seeds held in genebanks worldwide. The Seed Vault will provide insurance against the loss of seeds in genebanks, as well as a refuge for seeds in the case of large scale regional or global crises. The island of Spitsbergen is about {{convert|1120|km}} from the [[North Pole]].


The Seed Vault is managed under terms spelled out in a tripartite agreement between the [[Norwegian government]], the [[Global Crop Diversity Trust]] (GCDT) and the [[Nordic Genetic Resource Center]] (previously named the Nordic Gene Bank, a cooperative effort of the Nordic countries under the [[Nordic Council of Ministers]]).
The Seed Vault is managed under terms spelled out in a tripartite agreement between the [[Norwegian government]], the [[Global Crop Diversity Trust]] (GCDT) and the [[Nordic Genetic Resource Center]] (previously named the Nordic Gene Bank, a cooperative effort of the Nordic countries under the [[Nordic Council of Ministers]]).


The GCDT has played a key role in the planning of the Seed Vault and is coordinating shipments of seed samples to the Vault in conjunction with the Nordic Genetic Resource Center. The Trust will provide most of the annual operating costs for the facility, and has set aside endowment funds to do so, while the Norwegian government will finance upkeep of the structure itself. The [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]] has provided approximately $30 million to assist developing countries and international agricultural research centers to package and ship seeds to the Seed Vault. An International Advisory Council is being established to provide guidance and advice. It will include representatives from the [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]], the [[Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research|CGIAR]], the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and other institutions.
The GCDT has played a key role in the planning of the Seed Vault and is coordinating shipments of seed samples to the Vault in conjunction with the Nordic Genetic Resource Center. The Trust will provide most of the annual operating costs for the facility, and has set aside endowment funds to do so, while the Norwegian government will finance upkeep of the structure itself. With support from the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]] and other donors, the GCDT is assisting selected genebanks in developing countries as well as the international agricultural research centers to package and ship seeds to the Seed Vault. An International Advisory Council is being established to provide guidance and advice. It will include representatives from the [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]], the [[Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research|CGIAR]], the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and other institutions.


Construction of the Seed Vault (which cost approximately $9 million{{fact|date=July 2008}}) was funded entirely by the Government of Norway.{{fact|date=July 2008}} Operational costs will be paid by Norway and the Global Crop Diversity Trust.{{fact|date=July 2008}} The primary funders of the Trust are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.K., Norway, Australia, Switzerland and Sweden, though funding has been received from a wide variety of sources including four developing countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and India.<ref>http://www.croptrust.org/main/donors.php Donors GCDT </ref>
Construction of the Seed Vault (which cost approximately 45 million Norwegian Kroner (NOK)/$9 million <ref name="Ministry">Royal Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/lmd/campain/svalbard-global-seed-vault/frequently-asked-questions.html?id=462221 </ref> was funded entirely by the Government of Norway <ref name="Ministry"/>. Operational costs will be paid by Norway and the Global Crop Diversity Trust <ref name="Ministry"/>. The primary funders of the Trust are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.K., Norway, Australia, Switzerland and Sweden, though funding has been received from a wide variety of sources including four developing countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and India.<ref>http://www.croptrust.org/main/donors.php Donors GCDT </ref>


==History==
==History==
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==Controversy==
==Controversy==
Private involvement in The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has caused some controversy amongst anti-GM and biodiversity activists. Monsanto have been accused of using terminator gene technology illegally to ensure small farmers are dependent on their pesticides. This raises calls of hypocrisy and claims of ulterior motive.<ref>"Doomsday Seed Vault" in the Arctic [http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7529]. Retrieved on [[July 10]], [[2008]].</ref>
Private involvement in The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has caused some controversy amongst anti-GM and biodiversity activists. Monsanto have been accused of using terminator gene technology illegally to ensure small farmers are dependent on their pesticides. This raises calls of hypocrisy and claims of ulterior motive.<ref>"Doomsday Seed Vault" in the Arctic [http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7529]. Retrieved on [[July 10]], [[2008]].</ref> However, Monsanto has no direct or indirect involvement in the Seed Vault. They provided no funding, and they have no access to seeds there because they have not deposited seeds. (Seeds are available only to depositors to restore samples they have lost themselves.) For a list of depositors to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, see the the Seed Vault online database managed by NORDGEN [http://www.nordgen.org/sgsv/index.php?app=data_unit&unit=sgsv_by_depositor&PHPSESSID=3b1td0arodcnhufcvf6p5mv8h7]. For the complete list of donors to the Global Crop Diversity Trust, see [http://www.croptrust.org/main/donors.php].


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 10:08, 6 August 2008

78°14′23″N 15°29′43″E / 78.23972°N 15.49528°E / 78.23972; 15.49528

File:Norvay-04 copy.jpg
Rendered visualisation of the Seed Vault
File:Svalbard Global Seed Vault.jpg
Design of the Seed Vault as of early 2007

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure seedbank located on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen near the town of Longyearbyen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago.[1] The facility was established to preserve a wide variety of plant seeds from locations worldwide in an underground cavern. The Seed Vault holds duplicate samples, or 'spare' copies, of seeds held in genebanks worldwide. The Seed Vault will provide insurance against the loss of seeds in genebanks, as well as a refuge for seeds in the case of large scale regional or global crises. The island of Spitsbergen is about 1,120 kilometres (700 mi) from the North Pole.

The Seed Vault is managed under terms spelled out in a tripartite agreement between the Norwegian government, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (previously named the Nordic Gene Bank, a cooperative effort of the Nordic countries under the Nordic Council of Ministers).

The GCDT has played a key role in the planning of the Seed Vault and is coordinating shipments of seed samples to the Vault in conjunction with the Nordic Genetic Resource Center. The Trust will provide most of the annual operating costs for the facility, and has set aside endowment funds to do so, while the Norwegian government will finance upkeep of the structure itself. With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other donors, the GCDT is assisting selected genebanks in developing countries as well as the international agricultural research centers to package and ship seeds to the Seed Vault. An International Advisory Council is being established to provide guidance and advice. It will include representatives from the FAO, the CGIAR, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources and other institutions.

Construction of the Seed Vault (which cost approximately 45 million Norwegian Kroner (NOK)/$9 million [2] was funded entirely by the Government of Norway [2]. Operational costs will be paid by Norway and the Global Crop Diversity Trust [2]. The primary funders of the Trust are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.K., Norway, Australia, Switzerland and Sweden, though funding has been received from a wide variety of sources including four developing countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and India.[3]

History

The Nordic Gene Bank has stored a backup of Nordic plant germplasm as frozen seeds in an abandoned coal mine at Svalbard since 1984. The Nordic Gene Bank (NGB) has deposited more than 10,000 seed samples of more than 2,000 cultivars of 300 different species over the years. In addition, seed samples from southern Africa (SADC) have been safely duplicated with the Nordic collection for some years. Both the Nordic and African collections are expected be transferred to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in the future. Since January 1, 2008 the Nordic Gene Bank is an integrated part of the newly formed Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NORDGEN).

File:Global-Seed-Vault 0844 inngansparti kunst F Mari Tefre.jpg
The entrance to the Vault.

Construction

The prime ministers of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland participated in a ceremonial "laying of the first stone" on 19 June 2006.

The seedbank is constructed 120 metres (390 ft) inside a sandstone mountain at Svalbard on Spitsbergen Island.[4] The bank employs a number of robust security systems. Seeds are packaged in special four-ply packets and heat sealed to exclude moisture. The facility is managed by the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, though there are no permanent staff on-site.

Spitsbergen was considered ideal due to its lack of tectonic activity and its permafrost, which will aid preservation. The location 130 metres (430 ft) above sea level will ensure that the site remains dry even if the icecaps melt.[4] Locally mined coal provides power for refrigeration units that further cool the seeds to the internationally-recommended standard −18 °C (0 °F).[5] Even if the equipment fails, at least several weeks will elapse before the temperature rises to the −3 °C (27 °F) of the surrounding sandstone bedrock.[1]

Prior to construction, a feasibility study determined that the vault could preserve seeds from most major food crops for hundreds of years. Some seeds, including those of important grains, could survive far longer, possibly thousands of years.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault opened officially on February 26, 2008.[6] Approximately 1.5 million distinct seed samples of agricultural crops are thought to exist. The variety and volume of seeds stored will depend on the number of countries participating – the facility has a capacity to conserve 4.5 million. The first seeds arrived in January 2008.[7] Five percent of the seeds in the Vault, about 18,000 samples with 500 seeds each, come from the Centre of Genetic Sources, part of Wageningen University, Netherlands.[8]

Mission

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault's mission is to provide a safety net against accidental loss of diversity in traditional genebanks. While the popular press has emphasized its possible utility in the event of a major regional or global catastrophe, it will certainly be more frequently accessed when genebanks lose samples due to mismanagement, accident, equipment failures, funding cuts and natural disasters. Such events occur with some regularity. In recent years, some national genebanks have also been destroyed by war and civil strife. There are some 1,400 crop diversity collections around the world, but many are in politically unstable or environmentally threatened nations.

Controversy

Private involvement in The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has caused some controversy amongst anti-GM and biodiversity activists. Monsanto have been accused of using terminator gene technology illegally to ensure small farmers are dependent on their pesticides. This raises calls of hypocrisy and claims of ulterior motive.[9] However, Monsanto has no direct or indirect involvement in the Seed Vault. They provided no funding, and they have no access to seeds there because they have not deposited seeds. (Seeds are available only to depositors to restore samples they have lost themselves.) For a list of depositors to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, see the the Seed Vault online database managed by NORDGEN [2]. For the complete list of donors to the Global Crop Diversity Trust, see [3].

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Charles, Daniel (2006-06-23). "A 'Forever' Seed Bank Takes Root in the Arctic". Science. 312: pp. 1730–1731. doi:10.1126/science.312.5781.1730b. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Royal Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/lmd/campain/svalbard-global-seed-vault/frequently-asked-questions.html?id=462221
  3. ^ http://www.croptrust.org/main/donors.php Donors GCDT
  4. ^ a b Modern Marvels: Deep Freeze. The History Channel.
  5. ^ "From safety in permafrost to optimal conditions". Regjeringen.no. 2008-05-20. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  6. ^ "'Doomsday' seed vault opens in Arctic". boston.com/Associated Press. 26 February 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "'Doomsday' seeds arrive in Norway". BBC News Online. 31 January 2008. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Aarden, Marieke (2008-02-26). "Opslag met miljarden zaden, voor tijden van oorlog". de Volkskrant. p. 6. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "Doomsday Seed Vault" in the Arctic [1]. Retrieved on July 10, 2008.

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