“The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has during its first year of operation been a huge success. 25 international and domestic institutions have deposited more than 400,000 seed samples for long-term storage in the seed vault. Just as important is the fact that the seed vault creates interest in and increases knowledge about the value of genetic diversity,” says Lars Peder Brekk, Minister of Agriculture and Food.

Prime Minister Stoltenberg opened the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a secure storage facility for seeds from all over the world, on 26. February 2008 in the presence of guests from all over the world as well as the major media networks and journalists.

Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure storage facility for seeds in order to safeguard biological diversity in agriculture, particularly crops of great value to the global food supply. The Norwegian Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food owns the seed vault, while gene banks from all over the world will deposit seeds.

(Press release)

Rolleiv Solholm