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Norways Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Ministry Of Agriculture And Food
Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Svalbard Global Seed Vault At was opened by the Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday 26. th of February. Watch The Opening Ceremony here by Webcast.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which is established in the permafrost in the mountains of Svalbard, is designed to store duplicates of seeds from seed collections from around the globe. Many of these collections from developing countries are in developing countries. If seeds are lost, e.g. as a result of natural disasters, war or simply a lack of resources, the seed collections may be reestablished using seeds from Svalbard.

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Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Summary of the Svalbard Conference
The Conference “Svalbard Global Seed Vault - Saving Seeds for Eternity?” included as speakers representatives from a range of organizations and areas of expertise that contributed to the development of the Seed Vault. Read more in the summary of the conference. (27.03.2008)

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Genetic resources in storage
Svalbard Global Seedvault: There is broad agreement amongst experts that access to variety and genetic diversity in plants is essential in a future of great climatic challenges. Diversity is perhaps the most valuable natural resource we are in possession of, says Terje Riis-Johansen The Norwegian Minister of Agriculture and Food in a new feature article. (26.03.2008)

Seed Vault Advisory Council Holds first meeting in Svalbard
Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Looking toward the future, the newly appointed International Advisory Council held its first meeting within hours of the official opening of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. (28.02.2008)

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Has begun its operation
Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Within hours of the conclusion of the official opening ceremony of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the Vault was already in business. (28.02.2008)

Arctic Seed Vault Opens Doors for 100 Million Seeds
Svalbard Global Seed Vault: At the opening ceremony today, the Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg, unlocked the vault, and together with the African Nobel Peace Prize-winning environmentalist Wangari Maathai he placed the first seeds in the vault. (26.02.2008)

Norway contributes to plant breeding in developing countries
From 2009 Norway is going to give an annual contribution to the International Treaty’s benefit-sharing fund for financing plant breeding in developing countries and challenge other OECD-members to contribute likewise. If all the challenged countries accept, the fund can get some 200 million dollars during a ten year period. (25.02.2008)

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: The seeds are on their way
Svalbard Global Seed Vault: The Svalbard Global Seed Vault will open on 26 February. The facility will house seed samples of food plants from absolutely the entire world. And the seeds are on their way, from Colombia, Mexico, Canada, the Philippines, Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Kenya and many other countries. (08.02.2008)

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: The art is in place
Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Dyveke Sanne’s spectacular artwork is now in place at the entrance to Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The art will identify the building from a distance, in both daylight and darkness. (29.01.2008)

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: 300 visited the seed vault
Svalbard Global Seed Vault: More than 300 people took the opportunity to visit the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on Open Day. (19.11.2007)

Engineers Begin Critical “Cooling Down” of Arctic Doomsday Seed Vault for Deep Freeze and 24-Hour Polar Night
Innovative, Energy Efficient Refrigeration System Employs Vault’s Natural Sandstone as “Cold Store” to Keep Facility at Steady -18C. (16.11.2007)

Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Invitation to world’s seed banks
“We are launching a brand new seed portal and also inviting all of the world’s seed banks to collaborate in a joint effort to secure genetic diversity in agriculture,” says Operation Manager Ola Westengen with the Nordic Gene Bank/Svalbard Global Seed Vault. (15.11.2007)
- Read more about the ”seed portal”

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Description of the facility

Svalbard Global Seed Vault lies about 1 kilometre from Longyearbyen Airport as the crow flies, at about 130 metres above sea level and consists entirely of an underground facility, blasted out of the permafrost (at about minus 3-4 degrees Celsius). The facility is designed to have an almost “endless” lifetime.

Takes climate change into account
The location takes into account all known scenarios for rising sea level caused by global climate changes. The facility has also been located so deep inside the mountain that any possible changes to Svalbard’s climate, which we know about today, will not affect the efficacy of the permafrost. This will be a temporary temperature back up in the event of technical failure, such as loss of power supplies for a period.

Three underground chambers
The facility consists of three separate underground chambers. Each chamber has the capacity to store 1,5 million different seed samples. With the aid of its own electric machinery, powered by electricity from the local power station, it will maintain a constant interior temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius. The chambers will have storage shelving for prepacked examples of food seeds from the depositors (donor countries).

The storage chambers themselves are reached via an access tunnel about 100 metres long, with an entrance portal on its outside. The entrance portal will be the only visible part of the facility. It is in the form of a long, narrow concrete “fin”, with an entrance of brushed steel. An artistic decoration on the outer roof surface and on the upper part of the front will partly reflect the polar light and partly give off a muted, glowing light.

Drawing: Global Crop Diversity Trust

Well secured
The outer half of the entrance tunnel is constructed as a steel pipe with a diameter of about 5 metres. This will pass through the layer of snow and ice and the loose rocks, into solid mountain. The innermost part and the storage chambers will be blasted out of the mountain using tunnel drilling and rock blasting techniques. The mountain is secured with bolts and spray concrete. The permafrost will also contribute to stability. The interior floor is of asphalt. There is electric lighting throughout and the facility will be secured against forced entry and will have TV surveillance.

Areas for filing and other administrative work of a temporary nature will be located beside the entrance tunnel. These will be heated to normal room temperature whilst work is going on.

The total floor area of the facility is just under 1,000 square metres.

Planning of the facility has been done by the consultancy firm Barlindhaug Consult AS of Tromsø, with an office in Longyearbyen. Multiconsult AS has contributed geotechnics and landscape architecture. The architectural design was produced by Peter W. Søderman MNAL, of Barlindhaug Consult.

Drawing: The Directorate of Public Construction and Property

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Management and operations

Depositor agreement including other regulations and procedures are under development and will be made available through this website by the Nordic Genebank.

Free of costs
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault will provide facilities free of costs for safety deposits under “black box conditions” on request from public or private holders of seeds of distinct genetic resources that are important to humanity. Priority will be given to the safety deposit of plant genetic resources of importance for food security and sustainable agriculture.

Packaging and shipment
Costs pertaining to the packaging and shipping of the deposited seeds will be borne by the depositors. However, in the case of developing countries and international genebanks, the Global Crop Diversity Trust is funding the costs of preparing, packing and shipping their seeds to Svalbard.

- 18°C
The material deposited will be maintained in permafrost conditions supplemented by refrigeration in accordance with internationally agreed standards.

International regulations
The depositors who will deposit material will do so consistently with relevant national and international law. The Seed Vault will only agree to receive seeds that are shared under the Multilateral System or under Article 15 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) or seeds that have originated in the country of the depositor.

Replacement policy
The Seed Vault will not have the opportunity to test viability of the seeds, but will accept new shipments of seeds when the duplicate samples at the depositor’s possession have lost fertility.

Black boxes
"Black box arrangements" mean;

that the deposit of the seeds will not affect any property or other rights pertaining to the material;
that the deposited seeds will remain in sealed envelopes, unless otherwise agreed with the Depositor;

That the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will take no action to further transfer the material except back to the original Depositor or the Depositor’s successor in title, or in accordance with the Depositor’s instructions.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a seed vault?
Svalbard Global Seed Vault is not a gene bank, but a safety-storage for preservation of duplicate collections of seeds on behalf of genebanks. The Seeds in the Seed Vault shall only be accessed when the original seed collections have been lost for any reason.

The depositors will retain their rights over the seeds. There will be no way that Svalbard Global Seed Vault, or Norway can give access to the seeds without consent from the depositors. The seeds will be returned to the depositors on request.

How many seeds will be stored in Svalbard Global Seed Vault?
The Seed Vault has the capacity to store 4,5 million different seed samples. Each sample will contain on average 500 seeds, so a maximum of 2,25 billion seeds may be stored in the Seed Vault. The Seed Vault will therefore have the capacity to hold all the unique seed samples that are conserved today by all the approximately 1400 genebanks that are found in more than 100 countries all over the world. In addition the Seed Vault will have capacity to also store many new seed samples that may be collected in the future.

When in full use, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will represent the world’s largest collection of seeds.

What type of seeds may be stored in the Seed Vault?
The priority will be given to crops that are important for food production and sustainable agriculture, which is of the utmost importance for developing countries where food security is a challenge. More than 7000 plant species have historically been used in human diets; however, less than 150 species are today used in modern agriculture. Only 12 plant species today represent the major vegetable source in today's menu.

Within each plant species a high number of varieties and genetic diversity may be found. For example, there are more than 100.000 varieties of rice .

How will the seeds be stored?
The seeds will be stored in minus 18 degrees Celsius. The seeds will be placed in sealed packages that again will be placed in sealed boxes that will be stored on high shelves inside the vault. The low temperature and the limited access to oxygen will ensure low metabolic activity and cause a delay in the aging of the seeds. The permafrost will still ensure the continued viability of the seeds if the electricity supply should fail.

Who will own the seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault?
Each country or institution will still own and control access to the seed they have deposited.

Why Svalbard?
Svalbard is a unique location for such a facility in multiple ways. Svalbard has perfect climate and geology for an underground cold storage. Because of the permafrost, the temperature will never rise above minus 3,5 Celsius. The sandstone at Svalbard is stable to build in and low in radiation. In terms of security, Svalbard scores high compared to the locations of many other gene banks in the world. The infrastructure is good with daily flights and with reliable source of energy.

What if the permafrost in Svalbard begins to melt?
The prospects of climate change have been given consideration when searching for the optimal location for the Seed Vault. The Seed Vault will be located at such an altitude and so deep into the mountains that neither the potential rise in sea level nor the melting of the permafrost is considered as a potential threat in the foreseeable future.

When will the vault be ready?
26. february 2008.

What will be the construction cost of the vault?
The building of Svalbard Global Seed Vault has a stipulated cost of 45 millions Norwegian Kroner (NOK). The cost will be borne by the Kingdom of Norway. The Directorate of Public Construction and Property will be in charge of the constructions.

What is a gene bank?
It’s a facility for maintaining crop diversity in the form of seeds, stored and conserved in a frozen state. The ideal temperature is between minus 10 and minus 20 degrees Celsius. Each different type of seed is stored in its own container, such as a bottle, can, or in sealed a aluminium foil package. Genebanks may also contain living plants and parts of plants in those cases where it is difficult to store the crop in the form of seeds.

How many genebanks are there?
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN lists about 1400 collections of seeds. Major genebanks include those in China, Russia, Japan, India, S. Korea, Germany and Canada. In addition there are genebanks with an international profile, especially those that are operated by the Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

How many samples do genebanks currently house?
Approximately 6,5 million seeds sample are stored in genebanks today. Only about 1-2 million of these are estimated to be distinct.

Who uses genebanks?
Plant breeders and researchers are the major users of gene banks. The diversity stored in the genebanks is the raw material for plant breeding and for basic biological research. Several thousands of samples are distributed annually for such purposes.

Is it really necessary to conserve such a big diversity of crops?
Different crops varieties have different characteristics and not all the differences may be visible to the eye. Genetic traits may provide differences in disease resistance, adaptability to various soils and climates, different tastes and nutritional qualities. If we ever need to use the potentially unique and sometimes hidden traits found in a particular crop variety, then we must ensure that the variety is available.

What are the threats to genebanks and their collections?
The biggest threat comes from lack of resources and funding. Poor management can be a major problem. Genebanks have been subject to natural disasters, war and civil strife. Many genebanks are situated in developing countries and many have been faced with different challenges over time.

How many plant varieties have been lost?
It is impossible to know, as there is no way of ascertaining how many different types have existed in the past. But, surely, much diversity has already been lost. The number of plant varieties used during the last 30 years of intensification of agriculture has been dramatically reduced. Extinction is forever. Different varieties of wheat and potato can disappear as permanently as the dinosaurs.

How long can seeds live in a frozen state?
It varies with the type of crop. Some crops, such as peas may survive for 20-30 years only, but other crops, such as sunflower and some of the grains may survive for many decades or even hundreds of years. Eventually, all seeds will lose the ability to germinate - they’ll die. Before this happens, a few seeds are taken from the stored samples and planted. Fresh, new seed is then harvested and placed in storage. This way, the original variety can be perpetuated, and last almost forever.

Why is the seed vault on Svalbard important for the developing countries?
Food security is a challenge in many developing countries. This is caused by a number of factors, e.g.. lack of appropriate infrastructure for preservation of biodiversity. The security provided by Svalbard could consequently be of particular importance for many developing countries.

Many developing countries are rich in biodiversity. The Svalbard vault will be an extra security for plant diversity.

Will GMO-seeds be stored at the SGSV?
Import and storage of GMO seeds according to Norwegian legislation will require advance approval. Certain other criteria will apply to "sealed internal use" for research purposes and indoors storage of GMO, for example with regard to the risk of spreading GMO.

The norwegian gentechnology legislation was formulated before the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV) was set up, and therefore fails to take into account the vault's special status, or the low risk related to handling seeds in sealed packaging. Until changes can be made to the rules or exemption can be provided from them, long-term storage of GMO seeds in the SGSV will not be approved.

If it becomes apparent at a later date that modification of the facilities to include GMO seeds can be necessary in order to comply with the purpose of the vault, Norway will revise its policy and rules, and consider ways to upgrade the facility. As part of this process, the Norwegian authorities will attach great importance to the recommendations of the international council being established to advise on policy for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is being constructed as a cave excavated into the permafrost just outside Longyearbyen. The SGS is intended to ensure genetic variety for the world's food plants by storing duplicates of seed collections from gene banks all over the world, and will have storage capacity for over four million different ssamples. If a seed is lost somewhere in the world due to natural disasters, war or resource shortages, it can be re-established with seeds from Svalbard. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault will open on 26 February 2008.

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History

The history of Svalbard Global Seed Vault starts already in 1983. And similar to other big projects, it’s been a long and not very easy journey.

Preserving seed from food plants is an absolutely essential part of the work of preserving the world’s biodiversity, adapting to climate change and global warming and thereby ensuring food for the world’s population for the foreseeable future. There are hundreds of gene banks around the world. But some of them are vulnerable to natural disasters, war or the lack of management or finance. The foundation of a global ”central bank” for the world’s seeds (primarily of food plants) has therefore long been an issue.

Nordic Genetic Resource Centre in 1983
The first initiative for the creation of a safety deposit for seeds in permafrost was taken by the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NBG) as early as the early 80s. Svalbard, along with Greenland and the Jotunheim mountains, was assessed as a possible location at an early date. NBG visited Svalbard in 1983 and it was eventually decided to store seeds 300 metres inside a disused mine, mine 3, near Longyearbyen, where there was a permafrost of minus 3-4 degrees.

NBG’s positive experience of Svalbard led to the question of similar safety deposits being taken up by the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and a meeting between the board and the Norwegian authorities was arranged.

In 1989 IBPGR started surveying the relevant alternative sites in Svalbard. Norway offered to take care of the actual construction of the vault, whilst FAO and IBPGR would take care of the administrative operating costs through the creation of a fund based on capital from external donors.

Who ownes the worlds heritage?
In the early 90s there was heated debate between the various member countries of the FAO about patenting and access to genetic resources. Developing countries wished to receive part of the proceeds from the commercial seed industry, since the diversity mainly came from their areas, whilst the commercial seed industry wanted free access to such resources and the opportunity to patent the seeds. This led to a polarised atmosphere with little mutual trust regarding the administration of seed. The lack of international agreements to regulate this area eventually became an obstacle to realising the plans and IBPGR and FAO eventually had to give up looking for donors. Together with the Norwegian authorities they decided to shelve the plans for an international safety deposit for seeds in Svalbard.

The break through
The turning point came when FAO’s International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture came into force in 2004. This created a new basis for taking the plans up again. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food took up the challenge. A group of Nordic and international experts under the direction of Noragric at the Norwegian University of Life Scientists (UMB) were appointed to carry out a preliminary study. In September 2004 the group put forward an unambiguously positive report, which concluded that suitable locations were to be found in Svalbard. The report recommended that a chamber should be built inside the mountain. It was also stressed that the storage of seeds should be done in accordance with international gene bank standards, at minus 18 degrees, and that the seeds should be stored by the ”black box” method, that is that only the institution which deposits seeds has right of ownership and disposition over them.

In November 2004 the report was presented at FAO’s Commission for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The Norwegian idea received a positive response and was perceived by many countries as a most welcome contribution to the international work of preserving the world’s plant genetic resources. Some developing countries also pointed to the earlier positive experience of development collaborations with Nordic countries and the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre in Svalbard.

The Norwegian government took the leading position
Following the FAO meeting Norway began work on financing the construction project. Since the purpose of the seed vault was multilateral, it was natural to pave the way for making this a joint initiative between three ministries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The government backed the initiative and in 2005 an interdepartmental steering group was set up for the project, consisting of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (LMD), the Ministry of the Environment (MD), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD), the Ministry of Justice (JD) and the Consumer and Administration Ministry (FAD). Statsbygg, as constructor, also participated on the steering group as an observer. The group is chaired by and has its secretariat in the LMD.

Under the chairmanship of the LMD, the steering group discussed various alternatives for the location, organisation, agreement format and operation of the seed vault, as well as working in close cooperation with international experts in relevant fields. Statsbygg was given responsibility for building and running the technical plant. Planning commenced in autumn 2005 and building commenced in May 2007.

The project consists of three chambers, each of which has the capacity to store 1.5 million seed samples. Even though the facility is owned by Norway, it is important to underline that the seed samples which are stored in the vault are indisputably the property of the depositor (whether country, gene bank or institution), which has right of ownership and disposition over them. Building work will be completed in November 2007. Then the cooling process begins and the temperature should be down to minus 18 degrees during the course of January. The facility will be officially opened on 26th February 2008.

Owned by Norway
It is Norway which formally owns the seed vault, with LMD as the responsible authority for Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Nordic Genetic Resource Centre is responsible for scientific operation, whilst Statsbygg operates the technical plant. Construction has cost almost NOK 50 million and has been entirely financed by UD, LMD and MD. The Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) has also been brought in as an active partner and will finance a substantial amount of the annual operating costs of the vault. The other operating costs will be financed by the government, through LMD. GCDT is also helping to secure operations by assisting developing countries in the packing and despatch of seed samples to Svalbard.

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Five reasons for storing the world’s seeds in Svalbard

1
Svalbard, as Norwegian territory, enjoys security and political and social stability. Norway understands the importance of preserving Svalbard as an area of undisturbed nature, which is now an important research and reference area. The seed vault fits ideally into this concept.

2
Svalbard has an isolated position far out in the ocean, between 74° and 81° N and only 1000 kilometres from the North Pole. The archipelago is characterised by an undisturbed nature. Permafrost provides stable storage conditions for seeds. Besides which there is little risk of local dispersion of seed.

3
The seed vault, which consists of three chambers, is located right outside Longyearbyen and directly opposite Longyear Airport. The facility is about 130 metres above sea level and has been tunnelled 120 metres into the mountain, in a stable sandstone situation. Each of the three underground chambers is about 1,200 cubic metres (20 metres deep, 10 metres wide and 6 metres high). The location so far below ground guarantees stable permafrost for the foreseeable future and is high enough above sea level to secure the facility against any rise in sea level as a result of global warming.

4
The facility’s open location near the town makes for ease of monitoring and security. Security is the responsibility of the Governor of Svalbard in cooperation with the University of Svalbard (UNIS).

5
Since Svalbard was a natural choice for physical and security reasons, the Norwegian government decided that Norwegian ownership, operating responsibility and financing of the facility was equally natural. The seed vault is also in line with Norwegian policy with regard to biodiversity, preservation of genetic resources, north-south policy, development policy and food safety, as displayed in the following points:

- In establishing the international seed vault, Norway is making a unique contribution to the preservation of the planet’s most important biodiversity. This will help to fulfil the main objectives of the Biodiversity Convention and the FAO treaty, priority issues for Norway for many years. The seed vault could come to have a special significance for a number of regions in developing countries where the storage conditions in regular gene banks are a constant challenge.

- For many years it has been Norway’s aim to play a bridge-building role in the north-south debate about genetic resources and biological diversity. This doesn’t mean that we necessarily always take the middle line, but rather that we try to see new elements in the positions of all sides with the aim of finding solutions which actually lead to the sensible management of genetic resources. We believe that Svalbard Global Seed Vault can be a unifying initiative, which offers much to countries both north and south and which will hopefully also promote global collaboration in taking care of our most important genetic resources.

- Securing food supplies is one of the most basic issues in any strategy for eliminating poverty. In a time of climate change, this is equally a global issue. The establishment of a global seed vault is therefore very much in line with the principle of informed self-interest.