Discover the Secret Vault that Protects Humanity’s Future Food Supply

Have you ever wondered what would happen to the seeds of the plants we grow if there was a global disaster that threatened agricultural biodiversity? Fortunately, there is a place that acts as an insurance policy to preserve the genetic diversity of the world’s food crops: the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Credit:  seedvault.no website

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is an underground facility located on a remote island in the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. It was inaugurated in 2008 and is managed in partnership between the Norwegian Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the regional gene bank NordGen and Crop Trust, an independent international organization. The vault stores more than one million seed samples from more than 5,000 different plant species, representing the world’s largest collection of agricultural diversity.

Seed Vault virtual tour screenshot

The goal of the vault is to provide long-term protection against incremental or catastrophic loss of crop diversity held in traditional gene banks around the world. The vault offers ideal conditions for seed conservation, with a constant temperature of -18°C and low relative humidity. In addition, the vault is built into an earthquake- and flood-proof mountain and is located in a geopolitically stable area.

Access to the vault is restricted to authorized staff and seed depositors. However, thanks to digital technology, it is now possible to virtually visit the vault and learn about its structure and operation. 

The Virtual Tour Company launched an online experience in March 2023 as part of the 15th anniversary of the opening of the vault. Nestled on a snow-covered hillside, it is possible to view the interior and exterior of the vault on a tour with text and audio guide.

If you are curious about this fascinating and mysterious place that holds humanity’s future seeds, don’t miss it.