How Arctic seed vault can help with global food security
What's the story
The Arctic circle seed vault, officially the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, is located on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen near Longyearbyen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago.
Its purpose is to serve as the ultimate insurance policy against the loss of diversity in genebanks.
With the capacity to store four point five million crop varieties, it functions as a global safety deposit box for seed banks.
Purpose
Understanding the purpose of the vault
The main objective of the Arctic Circle Seed Vault is to preserve genetic diversity in agriculture.
In a world where climate change and natural disasters can wipe out entire crops, the vault serves as humanity's insurance policy for global food security.
It holds duplicates (backups) of seed samples from crop collections around the world.
Visit planning
Planning your visit to Svalbard
The trip to the Arctic Circle Seed Vault is an adventure in itself due to its remote location.
Most visitors reach Longyearbyen through direct flights from Oslo and Tromso.
Although tourists can't enter the vault, visitor centers and pre-booked guided tours provide insights into its importance and workings.
Securing spots on these tours requires early booking as they fill up quickly.
Learning experience
What you can see and learn
Although tourists can't actually go inside the vault, nearby visitor centers provide a wealth of information about what it is, how it's built, and what it contains.
Visitors, through exhibitions and guided tours around the entrance area, can gain insights into global efforts in preserving crop diversity and the effects of climate change on agriculture worldwide.
Responsible tourism
Tips for responsible tourism
When traveling to a pristine and sensitive environment like Svalbard's, it's essential to be a responsible tourist.
This means reducing your carbon footprint by opting for eco-friendly travel whenever possible, adhering strictly to wildlife rules by always keeping a safe distance from animals, and following all instructions given by tour operators to protect the environment.