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Svalbard Global Seed Vault – a back-up seed bank for the world’s crop genetic resources. Tore Skrøppa Nordic Genetic Resource Centre – NordGen. Safeguard a complete set of the world’s most important accessions of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
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Svalbard Global Seed Vault – a back-up seed bank for the world’s crop genetic resources Tore Skrøppa Nordic Genetic Resource Centre – NordGen
Safeguard a complete set of the world’s most important accessions of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture SGSV will provide the securest possible back-up site for a rational, effective, efficient and sustainable global system for conserving crop diversity and making it available Vision- A global security net
Why Svalbard Global Seed Vault? Good management to safely back-up unique collections Gene banks are vulnerable to - Civil strife and war - Natural disasters - Lack of adequate funding The time was ripe: The International Treaty provides a framework for collaboration.
In-situ Wild protected areas On-farm conservation A part of the global system • Ex-situ • Gene banks (seeds and cryo preservation) • Field collections
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 1993 and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) 2004 Same objectives: Conservation, sustainable use and fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their use International Policy Framework
The Structure Storage halls embedded in solid rock (120 m into the mountainside) 130 m above sea (above worst case climate change scenario) Geologically stable location Temperature maintained at -18°C Permafrost provides natural freeze guarantee at -4 °C in the event of equipment failure Monitoring and surveillance with gas-, temperature- and motion- detectors
The Norwegian government: the liable national authority NordGen: responsibility for the management and operation The Global Crop Diversity Trust: Funding the maintenance and operation. Funding shipment of seeds from eligible collections International Advisory Council oversees the operation of the Vault The Organization NordGen
Operation PGR of importance to food security and sustainable agriculture Accessions in two conventional long-term gene banks elsewhere Build on in-trust collections (article 15 in ITPGRFA) Expansion: Unique genetic material -avoiding duplication as far as feasible
Terms Signing of Standard Deposit Agreement Deposition consistent with international law
Conditions Storage free of charge for public and private holders of PGRFA Black box -will never be opened Viability testing - regeneration – multiplication responsibility remains with the depositor Information access on public online data portal Withdrawal on request
Should seed lots of forest tree • species be stored at SGSV? • Purpose • Back-up storage for research to monitor long term changes in genetic diversity • Conservation of threatened populations - which species? - conifers or broad-leaved? - long term storage conditions?
Thank you! Seed Portal: www.nordgen.org/sgsv www.seedvault.no