Fromtheair,it’satinygroupofislandshalfwaybetweenNorwayandtheNorthPole.Svalbard.Itsnamemeans“coldcoasts”inIcelandic.It’stheperfectnameforalandofsnowand ice.
Fromthesideofamountain,asilverwalkwayleadstoadoor.Ahallwayleadstoanotherdoor.Thefloorslopesdownwardalongatunnel.Pipespushcoldairtowardthreeair‑lockeddoors.Themiddleoneisencrustedwith ice.
Behindtheicydoor,therearerowsandrowsofmarkedshelves.Eachholdsboxesofseeds.WelcometotheSvalbardGlobalSeed Vault.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_april_2019/protecting_diversity_and_long_life/247156/.Svalbard_Draft_1.mp4.960_0_1.jpg)
Hallways,tunnels,anddoorsleadtoavaultfilledwith seeds.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_april_2019/protecting_diversity_and_long_life/247147/seeds_3.240_0_1.png)
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_april_2019/protecting_diversity_and_long_life/247148/seeds_4.240_0_1.png)
Theseseedsarestoredinglass tubes.
ProtectingDiversity
TheSvalbardseedvaultwascreatedtoprotectandstoremanykindsofseedsofcropplants.Why?Toensurethefutureofglobal agriculture.
Asourworldchanges,weneedtobeprepared.Cropsmayfailduetopestsorclimatechange.That’swhenweneedtoreplacecertainkindsofseedswithnewones.Seedsthataretoughenoughtoputupwithpests.Oronesthatcanhandle flooding.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_april_2019/protecting_diversity_and_long_life/247145/seeds_1.800_0_1.png)
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_april_2019/protecting_diversity_and_long_life/247146/seeds_2.800_0_1.png)
Unfortunately,thepoolofplantsisshrinking.TheUnitedStateshad500varietiesofcabbageand285typesofcucumberin1903.By1983,theU.S.hadonly28kindsofcabbageandjust16varietiesofcucumber.Thatenormouschangewasthesameforotherkindsofseeds, too.
SeedlossisnotlimitedtotheU.S.Chinahasseenasharpdeclineintypesofrice.Today,only30cropsprovideabout95percentofourfoodenergyneeds.Werelyonveryfewkindsoffoods.Yet,theworld’sfoodsuppliesarealwaysatrisk.So,storingseedsforthefutureisasmart idea.
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_april_2019/protecting_diversity_and_long_life/247149/sorghum_crop.800_0_1.png)
LongLife
Seedsarekeptinthevaultunderspecificconditions.Someseedscanremainthatwayfor50to75years.Others,likethegrainsorghum,couldstillgrow20,000yearsfrom now!
Crop
Expectedlife(in years)
Barley
2,061
Chickpea
2,613
Lettuce
73
Maize (corn)
1,125
Onion
413
Pea
9,876
Rice
1,138
Wheat
1,693
sorghum
![](/nationalgeographic/trailblazer_april_2019/protecting_diversity_and_long_life/247150/sorghum_seed.480_0_1.png)
Map of Washington, D.C., 1860s
The White House
Peterson House
Ford's Theatre
United States Capitol
Smithsonian Institute
Washington Monument
POTOMAC RIVER