Some at NordGen believed that she was a “scapegoat” for the seed bank’s well known problems including continuing deficits, significant understaffing, and failure to do routine tests on the deposited seed to determine viability. In December 2010 NordGen, the entity overseeing Svalbard, fired its Director Jessica Kathle. Not surprisingly these fears have recently been justified. This has been one of the bases for CFS’ longstanding concerns about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. As noted elsewhere on this site, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) strongly advocates for in situ protection of plant diversity, and when ex situ seed saving is required it should reside at the most local and ecologically appropriate level. Since that first experience I learned that bigger is definitely not better or safer when it comes to seed saving. This litigation ultimately forced a settlement where USDA agreed to do an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and conditions at the seed bank improved somewhat. As such I reviewed much of the material in the case that documented USDA’s complete disregard for the safety and integrity of the seeds under its care. I was a very active member of that legal team. But when no real action resulted we litigated. A legal petition by my organization to rectify the decision seemed to get the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) attention. Numerous seed deposits were spilling out onto the floors of the facility, the facility was woefully understaffed, there was no testing of the seed and a virtually complete failure of required regeneration - in short a seed saving disaster. Journalists had published stories dramatically detailing the grossly negligent manner in which deposits to the seed bank were treated. Protection of biodiversity through investment in the efforts of local farms and markets, while de-emphasizing corporate-controlled global markets should be the number one priority.My first experience with the perils of large scale seed banks was the scandal that erupted over the Fort Collins collection in the mid-1980s. So while seed banks such as Svalbard can be seen as valid preliminary back-up options, focus should be placed on protecting present-day worldwide crop diversity as opposed to seed bank storage alone. When taken in a global context in which a handful of corporations dominate plant breeding and seed control, this is an understandable concern. When implementing off-site storage as an approach to crop diversity conservation, it is argued that it lulls the public into a false sense of security. Specifically, acknowledgements should be made that there are theories that link the Svalbard Seed Vault and the GCDT with multinational seed companies around the world. UPDATE: There is debate revolving around any topic that has as wide-reaching implications as one such as this. With countries all over the world participating, this project showcases the ability of the world to transcend politics and come together in unity over a vital subject such as food security. This fantastic facility “ensures that, one day, all of humanity's existing food crop varieties would be safely protected,” explain s Cary Fowler, executive director of the GCDT. This illuminating decoration is thanks to Norwegian legislation that insists construction projects that exceed a certain cost feature artwork. The structure is visible from high in the sky, as its exterior is covered in prisms, mirrors, and reflective steel that work to catch polar light in the summer, while a network of optic cables light up the facility in a wash of turquoise and white light in the winter. Its location in Spitsbergen was specifically chosen as an ideal location–it's high enough above sea level that the site will remain dry even if the ice caps do melt.īoth the entryway and length of exposed roof of the vault have actually been transformed into a work of art. From all over the world, seeds are sent to vault, placed within special packets and then heat sealed for long-term storage. The seed bank sits within a super-secure mountain crypt. Managed by the Norwegian government, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT), and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, the project has been funded primarily by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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