Protect seed survival

Crop diversity is the fundamental pillar of our food production, essential to ensuring that crops can adapt to the climate and demographic changes that the world is about to face. The United Nations estimates that the global population will increase from 7.8 billion in 2020 to 9.7 billion by 2050 [1]. This increase, combined with changes in weather patterns, is already altering growing seasons and agricultural environments, jeopardizing the ability of current crops to thrive or even survive.

Seeds represent the crucial raw material that scientists and growers may need to improve the yield, resilience or disease resistance of agricultural varieties grown by farmers. In this context, global gene banks constitute the first line of defense against the external challenges that agriculture faces.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault plays a vital role as a safe deposit for orthodox seeds, especially of domesticated plants and their wild relatives that are crucial for food and agriculture. Located in a remote region of Svalbard, this Vault is an invaluable resource for the conservation of genetic diversity, ensuring that, in the event of loss in conventional gene banks, seeds can be recovered and used to support global food production.

A welcoming home

The Svalbard archipelago offers an ideal location for the backup storage of the world's seeds. Although global warming is also affecting Svalbard, these islands remain among the coldest places on the planet, making them a safe haven for seed storage.

The deposited seeds are stored inside chambers dug into the mountain, kept at a constant temperature of minus 18°C ​​thanks to artificial cooling systems, managed by Statsbygg (the body responsible for government buildings in Norway). The surrounding permafrost further helps ensure thermal stability, ensuring that seeds remain protected even if the artificial cooling system fails [1].

In response to the challenges of climate change, Norway undertook a significant upgrade of the Seed Vault between 2016 and 2019. The entrance tunnel was waterproofed, and a new, more efficient and environmentally friendly cooling system was installed, ensuring that the structure is ready to face a potentially hotter and wetter future. Norway continues to carefully monitor the climatic and natural conditions of Svalbard, ready to intervene to preserve these precious resources [1].

Seed storage operations

Deposits are made according to a specific agreement between the depositing institution and the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The seeds are stored free of charge and under conditions called "black box," meaning that the containers and boxes of stored seeds are never opened. The ownership of the seeds always remains with the depositing gene bank, and only the latter has the right to request their return [1].

Operational Management
The Nordic Genetic Resources Center (NordGen) is responsible for the operational management of the Seed Vault. NordGen works with gene banks wishing to deposit their seeds, offering advice and assistance on the necessary processes, including approving the material to be stored, planning deposit dates, and managing packaging, labeling and documentation. Once shipments are organized, NordGen also facilitates the transportation of seeds to the Seed Vault [3]. Another key partner is the Crop Trust, which helps countries and institutions cover costs and offers technical advice on packing and shipping seeds to Svalbard [4].

Shipping and Security
Seeds are usually shipped to Svalbard via air freight, with some larger shipments made by sea. Once you arrive at Oslo Airport, logistics partner Jetpak takes care of the transport to Longyearbyen, where the Seed Vault is located. To ensure safety, all seed boxes are scanned before entering the depot. The Seed Vault welcomes seeds three times a year, but can arrange special openings if necessary [1].

Packaging
Dried seeds destined for the Seed Vault are packaged in airtight foil bags, specially designed for long-term storage. These bags are then placed in standardized boxes measuring 60x40x28 cm, suitable for the Seed Vault shelves. The boxes, made of plastic, cardboard or wood, are numbered and labeled with the depositors' names and location on the shelves. All seed information is recorded in the Seed Portal, a database managed by NordGen [3].

Seed monitoring
Seed viability monitoring and regeneration programs are the responsibility of the depositor. Since the storage conditions in the Seed Vault are equal to or superior to those of normal gene banks, the results of the monitoring carried out by the depositors reflect the conditions of the seeds stored in Svalbard.

The History

The idea of ​​creating a global security storage facility began to take shape in the 1980s. As early as 1984, NordGen had established a backup facility in an abandoned coal mine near Longyearbyen, and since then the idea of ​​a global repository began to gain traction. However, it is important to clarify that, contrary to what is often believed, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is not located in an old coal mine, but is dug directly into the solid rock of a perpetually frozen mountain, of which the technical construction project it was entrusted to the Finnish architect Peter Söderman [1].

The establishment of such a global structure became a reality following the 2001 negotiations that led to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), which promoted the creation of a multilateral system for the management of genetic resources. In 2004, a feasibility study highlighted the need for a structure built from scratch, capable of guaranteeing the long-term conservation of the seeds in optimal conditions, protected from any contamination, such as that from hydrocarbons that could have occurred in the old mine. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault was inaugurated on 26 February 2008 with a ceremony attended by important international figures such as Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai [1].

The International Treaty established that seed samples sent to Svalbard remain the property of the country or the depositing gene banks. This treaty ensured that guarded seeds are accessible for research, plant breeding and education, thus promoting global food security.

Curiosity [5]

In 2017, the Global Seed Vault faced a significant challenge that highlighted the facility's vulnerabilities, especially in the face of climate change. That year, an unusual heat wave caused by global warming caused some glaciers in Svalbard to melt, which led to flooding in the area near the depot. Water has managed to seep into the facility's access tunnel, raising concerns about its ability to withstand increasingly extreme weather conditions.

Fortunately, there was no direct damage to the stored seeds, but the incident revealed potential flaws in the Vault's design. Although it was designed to exploit permafrost as a natural coolant, the reality of climate change has shown that permafrost does not always behave as expected.

Maintenance and overhaul interventions

To address these critical issues, the Norwegian government has allocated 37 million Norwegian kroner (approximately 4.4 million dollars) for a series of maintenance and overhaul interventions on the structure. One of the main objectives of these interventions is to better understand the behavior of permafrost and develop solutions to prevent future water infiltration.

Proposed Changes

One of the first ideas to emerge was to change the slope of the access tunnel, so that the water can flow outwards, avoiding accumulation inside. This solution had not been considered necessary at the time of the original construction, but rising temperatures have demonstrated the importance of reviewing this aspect.

Interventions carried out

Some interventions have already been carried out. The electrical transformer station, which contributed to the increased heat, was moved further away from the tunnel entrance. Additionally, drainage ditches were created around the bunker and waterproof walls were implemented within the structure to prevent future leaks.

A Precautionary Approach

Despite the accident, the Norwegian government has stressed that there are no immediate risks to the world's biodiversity held in the Seed Vault. The measures taken are part of a long-term plan to ensure greater safety, and are seen as necessary precautions rather than responses to an imminent emergency.

These events have demonstrated how crucial it is to continue monitoring and adapting infrastructures like the Seed Vault to new climate realities, to adequately protect the genetic resources the world will increasingly need.