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Four New Genebanks Deposited Seeds for the First Time as the Seed Vault’s 15th Anniversary Was Marked

Date: 2023.02.28

Contact: info@nordgen.org

Close to 20,000 seed samples from 20 genebanks were secured when Svalbard Global Seed Vault opened in Februray. For the first time, genebank collections from Croatia, Albania, North Macedonia and Benin were safeguarded in the Vault.

Today, the first seed deposit of the year was carried out when more than 19,500 seed samples were secured on Svalbard. The Seed Vault was inaugurated on February 26, 2008. During the Vault’s first 15 years, backup copies of more than 1.2 million seed samples from almost 100 different genebanks have been placed in the Seed Vault. Due to environmental reasons, the 15th anniversary was mainly celebrated through local events, the launch of a new virtual tour and by inviting a group of 15-year-olds from Longyearbyen to the seed deposit. Norway’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, Sandra Borch, was also present during the ceremony.

“New genebank deposits are vital to preserve the genetic diversity of both staple crops and regional seed varieties that small-scale farmers rely on. With this latest deposit, marking the 15th. anniversary of the seed vault, we will have a safety back-up of the world’ s crop diversity of approximately 1,2 million seeds stored in the vault. The whole of humanity relies on the genetic diversity of crops maintained in the world’s genebanks, and the Seed Vault is the last line of defence against the loss of that diversity,” said Borch.

The box from NordGen was carried by Karen Ellemann, Lise Lykke Steffensen and Sandra Borch.

New Genebanks

Several genebanks in the February deposit sent seeds for the first time. One such example is the National Plant Genebank from Croatia. Genebanks in Albania (The Institute of Plant Genetic Resources), North Macedonia (Fabia CSB Bogdanci) and Benin (GRIGADEB) were also able to deposit seeds for the first time with support from the BOLD project (Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods, and Development). It is a 10-year project to strengthen food and nutrition security worldwide by supporting the conservation and use of crop diversity. Led by the Crop Trust, in partnership with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the BOLD Project is funded by the Norwegian Government.

Innocent Nonoukon Dossou Aminon, Genebank Director, carried the box from Benin. To the left, Sandra Borch, Norweigan Minister of Agriculture and Food.

NordGen is one of the 20 genebanks depositing seeds this time. In the box from the Nordic countries’ joint genebank and knowledge center for genetic resources, there are more than 700 different seed samples of about 50 crops and medicinal plants. More than half of the seed samples consist of barley, but the box also contains seeds of various types of tomato, lettuce, carrot and forage crops that are important for the Nordic countries. In the Nordic seed collection, there are over 2000 different peas. The box from NordGen contains about 30 of these peas. An example is the landrace “Björks”, which is now secured in the Seed Vault. Before this sugar pea was donated to NordGen, it was cultivated by the Björk family, north of Swedish Luleå, for five generations ever since 1847.

Symbol of Successful Cooperation

NordGen is an institution organized under the Nordic Council of Ministers. Karen Ellemann, the new Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, was present during the ceremony at the Vault. She also carried the box from NordGen.

“It feels solemn to be here today and carry the seeds from the Nordic countries. The 1.2 million seeds that are safeguarded here on Svalbard constitute an invaluable resource of agricultural biodiversity that is important to conserve, not least in troubled times. The Seed Vault is also a symbol of successful Nordic and international cooperation, which benefits all of humanity,” said Ellemann.

NordGen’s Executive Director, Lise Lykke Steffensen, was also on site during the seed deposit.

“Genebanks are working tirelessly to protect key crops that are increasingly vulnerable, whether it be from natural disasters, conflicts or other challenges. By offering a place where the genebanks can backup their invaluable and unique seed samples, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault creates a higher level of security for the world’s agricultural biodiversity and thereby our global food security,” said Steffensen.

Facts: 20 Genebanks in the Seed Deposit

Plant Gene Resources of Canada – Canada

ILRI – Ethiopia

Millennium Seed Bank, Kew Garden – UK

Suceava Genebank ”Mihai Cristea” – Romania

Agricultural University of Tirana – Albania

Julius Kühn Institute – Germany

National Agrobiodiversity Center – South-Korea

IPK – Germany

ICRISAT – India

NordGen – The Nordic countries

METK – Estonia

National Plant Genebank – Croatia

Fabia CSB Bogdanci – North-Macedonia

National Agricultural and Food Centre – Slovakia

APGRC – Sudan

Institut d’Economie Rurale – Mali

Institute of Cereal Crop Improvement – Israel

AfricaRice – Ivory Coast

GRIGADEB – Benin

John Innes Centre – UK