![]() In 2015, Syrian researchers made the very first withdrawal, taking out seeds they had originally deposited into a local seed bank, but that was destroyed during war. Each country still owns access to the seeds they deposit, and only the depositor can open the boxes and withdraw seeds. CNN's Arwa Damon gives a behind the scenes tour of the 'Doomsday' seed vault in Norway, that many believe to be the key to mankind's survival. The vault is also well-above sea level, so that even if all the ice in the world melted, the seeds would remain safe.Īccording to Fast Company, the seeds are stored in custom three-ply foil packages, which are sealed in boxes, and stored on shelves. A temperature of -18C is required for best storage. Permafrost and thick rock ensure that the seed samples will remain frozen, even without power, according to Crop Trust. The area surrounding the Vault is geologically stable and humidity levels are low. Situated deep inside a mountain on a remote Arctic island in a Norwegian archipelago, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, dubbed the 'doomsday' vault, is the largest of its kind and can store up to 2. It will secure millions of seeds for centuries that will represent the earth’s vast crop variety and offer those options to future generations – regardless of climate change and population growth. The purpose of the Vault is to store backups of seed samples from the world’s crop collections. If an entire collection is ruined somehow, the damage is irreversible, and that crop variety could become extinct. Most of the world’s genebanks are exposed to natural disasters and war, as well as poor management funding. ![]() The human layer, the flora and fauna layer and service layer amalgamate to co-exist in a single doomsday vault. While it’s not the only genebank – according to Crop Trust there are more than 1,700 worldwide that hold collections of food crops – it is the only one that is built to handle almost anything. The vault consists of four decks that are supported by trusses with arch action. The Seed Vault was built to last, and to withstand any natural or manmade disasters. The seed bank is fully funded by the government, while The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is responsible for operations. So far, there are more than 4,000 different plant species. Tens of thousands of different varieties are held in the vault, including staples such as beans, wheat and rice. Opened by the Norwegian government in 2008, the Vault safely houses seeds from all across the globe.
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