• BGCI: The global network
• Our work
• Our supporters and partners
• Join in
• Resource centre
  • Publications
    • Our newsletter
  • Events
    • BGCI Congresses
  • Latest news
  • News archives
  • Tools and links
    • Access and Benefit Sharing
    • IPEN
    • Tech tools
    • About PlantSearch
    • About GardenSearch
    • Fundraising links
    • Upload Instructions
  • Jobs
  • Botanic garden information
    • Definition
    • The history of botanic gardens
    • Botanical illustration
    • Living collections
    • Role of botanic gardens
    • Commercial activity
    • Seedbanks
    • Botanic gardens and conservation
    • Herbaria
    • Information management systems
    • Starting a botanic garden
    • Promoting a botanic garden
• Education centre
• Climate change information centre

Print this Page

Indestructible Seed Bank For World Agriculture

Seeds from crops around the world are being collected for storage in a frozen vault deep underground in Spitsbergen, near the North Pole. The UN-approved scheme has been revived after security concerns over Russia in the 1980's prevented it's realisation.

The concrete bunker will store around 2 million seeds, representing all known varieties of the world's crops, as insurance against catastrophes. It is hoped they would be able to help prevent famine or mass starvation should a serious global disaster occur.

Back to Archive