The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, often referred to as the “doomsday” vault, has recently received over 14,000 new seed samples, including rice seeds from Thailand. This facility, located deep within a mountain on a remote Norwegian Arctic island, serves as a global backup for crop diversity, safeguarding seeds from potential global catastrophes such as nuclear war or climate change.
Established in 2008, the vault now houses more than 1.3 million seed samples from around the world. The recent deposit also includes seeds of Nordic tree species from Sweden and various sorghum varieties from Sudan, highlighting the vault’s role in preserving both biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Source: Reuter.com
