MakingaWithdrawal
Likeabank,onlythosewhodepositseedsinthevaultareabletotakeseedsout.TheGlobalSeedVaultdoesn’townorgoverntheseedswithinit.Anyseedsdonatedarestillownedbythosethatdepositedthem.Thismeansthatonlythepeoplewhodonatedcanhaveaccesstothoseseedsorallowotherstoborrow them.
Whencertainseedsareattheendoftheirlife,adepositorcantakethembackoutintotheworldtogrowthemandcreatefreshseeds.Thentheywillsendsomeofthosenewseedstothevaulttomakesurethevarietyissafe again.
Hasanyoneeverneededtheseedsthey’vestored?Yes.Just ask Syria.
TheInternationalCenterforAgriculturalResearchintheDryAreas(ICARDA)usedtobebasedinAleppo,Syria.Butin2011,thecountrywasonthebrinkofcivilwar.To protectseeddiversity,ICARDAsent100,000typesofseedstoSvalbardforsafekeeping.Thissetincludedoneofthelargestcollectionsoftypesofwheatinthe world.
ICARDAsetupnewplacestoworkinMoroccoandLebanon.Thenin2015,theyaskedSvalbardtoreturntheirseeds.ICARDAplantedthoseseedstogetfreshones,someofwhichtheysentbackto Svalbard.
DomesticCrops
TheSvalbardseedbankcanhelpuswithfutureproblems,too.ThereisagermthathurtswheatcalledUg99.ItwasfirstfoundinUgandain1999.Thisgermtravelsonsporesinthewind.Itisquicklyspreadingtoothercountries.It’sheadingtoIndia.ItwillmovetoAustralia.Eventually,itwillreachtheUnitedStates.Weneedtohavewheatthatcanresistthisgermbythetimeit arrives.
That’swhyaseedbankliketheoneinSvalbardissoimportant.Itoffersusprotectionagainstcroplossandlossofdiversity.ItalsobuysustimetosolveproblemslikeUg99.Aboveall,theseedvaultisinplaceifeverwe faceaglobalfoodcrisis.Fornow,westorethem—oneseedpacketata time.
wheat
An ICARDAscientistlooksatseedbankcropsgrowinginLebanon’sBekaa Valley.
FromtheSvalbardVault
Bambara groundnuts
ThislegumeisgrownbyfarmersinAfrica.Itmakesundergroundpodsthatcontainnuts.Thenutscanbeeatenfresh.Buttheyareusuallydriedandgroundintoafineflour.Theflourisusedtomakedumplings,cakes,and biscuits.
Pigeon peas
Pigeonpeashaveverydeeptaproots.Therootcanbreakthroughhardsoil.Thisplantbringsupnutrientsfromdeepunderground.Itmakesthesurfacesoilbetter.Pigeonpeasareusedtomakedal,amaindishin India.
Black‑eyed peas
Black‑eyedpeasarevaluedinAfrica.Theyareabletohandlepartlyhotanddryconditions.Theyalsochangenitrogeninsoilintoaformthatlivingthingscanuse.Thishelpsmakefieldsfertileagainforother crops.
Map of Washington, D.C., 1860s
The White House
Peterson House
Ford's Theatre
United States Capitol
Smithsonian Institute
Washington Monument
POTOMAC RIVER