FAO applauds the opening of seed vault in Norway

Tunnel built into frozen mountain will store samples of the world’s most important crops

25 February 2008, Svalbard/Norway – The creation of the Global Seed Vault, which will house duplicates of unique varieties of the world’s most important crops, is “one of the most innovative and impressive acts in the service of humanity,” FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said today.

“The wealth that is being safeguarded in Svalbard will be the global insurance to address future challenges,” he added.

Dr Diouf addressed a conference in Svalbard held in connection with the inauguration of the Seed Vault.

Stored in permafrost

The vault is built into a frozen mountain near the village of Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Svalbard is a group of islands nearly a thousand kilometres north of mainland Norway and about 1120 km from the North Pole. Permafrost and thick rock will ensure that even without electricity, the genetic material stored in the vault will remain frozen and protected....

Source: FAO applauds the opening of seed vault in Norway
Author: FAO

Link: Norway: 'Encyclopedia of Life' Takes Shape: 30,000 Species
Link: Norway's 'Doomsday Vault' holding seeds of survival in case of disaster is buried in Arctic


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