How countries are racing to protect biodiversity and ensure food security – A greener life, a greener world

By Anders Lorenzen

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed bank nicknamed the ‘Doomsday Vault,’ one would be forgiven for thinking it sounds like something straight out of an apocalyptic sci-fi film storyline. 

The seed bank located on the remote Norwegian archipelago Svalbard was established to protect humanity from disasters such as climate change, nuclear Armageddon, and another world war.

A present reality

However, as climate impacts are now being felt worldwide, with biodiversity losses accelerating, the once futuristic idea is, in theory, not that futuristic anymore. 

Securing food future amid geopolitical tensions and climate impacts

As the world is already losing plant species at an accelerating rate annually, scientists are working fast to protect the most threatened and critical species to human civilisation. 

Restoring the lost seeds in Syria

For instance, the long-running civil war in Syria, which ended this year, has benefitted from the seed vault as, since 2015, they have been able to restore lost seeds.

Global impact of climate change on seed diversity

21 Gene-banks, spread across 19 countries, sent 14,000 seed samples last month. The donating countries highlight the risks of current global geopolitical conflicts, such as the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, and the increasing problem of weakening yield due to climate-induced extreme weather events. 

Protecting food security and cultural heritage in Sudan

For instance, Sudan has contributed seeds of 15 species, including sorghum varieties. These seeds are vital for the country’s food security and cultural heritage, especially given the ongoing civil unrest since 2023. 

The Sudanese national gene bank faced significant threats due to the conflict, leading to the relocation and preservation of these seeds in the Seed Vault.

Indigenous African tree species

The World Agroforestry Centre (CIFOR-ICRAF) has sent 19 African tree species. These include the Baobab (Adansonia digitata), which is valued for its edible fruit and leaves, and Faidherbia Albida, which is known for enriching the soil and providing many agricultural benefits.

A brief history of Svalbard

Svalbard, previously known as Spitsbergen, has been part of the Kingdom of Norway since 1925. It is a Norwegian archipelago that lies at the convergence of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

Approximately 60% of the archipelago is covered with glaciers, and the islands’ many mountains and fjords are a dominant geographical feature.

Research and tourism have become important supplementary industries, with the University Centre in Svalbard and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault playing critical roles in the local economy. 

Facts about the seed bank

The super secure seed vault is straight out of a James Bond movie. At -18 degrees C, it is 1,300 km from the North Pole on the remote Norwegian archipelago.

It is operated by The Norwegian government, the Crop Trust, and the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NordGen).

The seed vault is the world’s largest and most significant seed bank. Since its inauguration in 2008, it has accumulated the safe storage of 1.3 million seeds. Its receipt of seed deposits peaked in 2020 with the receipt of 60,000 samples. 

Food security and protecting biodiversity 

Currently, seeds from 100 countries are being stored in the seed bank, which is kept naturally cold by the permafrost and disaster-proofed. 

Globally, worries about food security have intensified due to escalating extreme weather events driven by climate change and aided by global tensions, conflicts, and wars.

An immediate challenge

Experts caution that declining global seed yields—driven by climate impacts, extreme weather events, and soil degradation—represent an immediate challenge, not a future one.

Industry experts and scientists argue that developing more resistant crops is essential in addition to backing up seeds in seed vaults.

Safeguarding the fight against biodiversity loss and food insecurity

Security experts agree that seed banks such as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault are crucial in safeguarding the fight against biodiversity loss and food insecurity. 

As global challenges from climate change and geopolitical conflicts intensify, the urgent need for innovative solutions—ranging from advanced seed preservation to resilient crop development—is as clear as ever.

To counter current global tensions, stakeholders would be keen to emphasise the importance of international cooperation. Investing in agricultural innovation will be key to securing our shared future.