A global backup facility

The majestic Svalbard archipelago – part of the Kingdom of Norway – rises like a frozen oasis from the Arctic Ocean, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

It is here, within the bowels of the permafrost landscape, that we find the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a botanical treasure trove.

The vault is there to protect invaluable food-plant seeds, deposited from the four corners of the world: protecting them from future natural disasters.

The vault is a central backup facility, storing duplicates of seed samples kept in national, regional, and international gene banks.

More seeds every year

The Norwegian government created the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in 2008 – and fully fund the operation.

The underground facility stretches deep into a Svalbard mountain, with three identical, separate chambers, surrounded by a thick layer of solid rock.

A few times a year, the administrators open the vault to add new batches of seeds; then catalogue and store them in sealed containers, and place them in designated locations.

As of today, the vault holds almost one million samples. The samples remain the property of the gene banks that deposit them.

Mother Nature’s own freezer

Since time immemorial, Svalbard has been a magnet for explorers and hunters. With its permafrost and challenging conditions, it is home to only the hardiest of creatures.

Electrified cooling systems keep the seed vault’s temperature at minus 18 degrees centigrade. Should the electricity fail, the permafrost will keep the seeds naturally frozen at minus 5 or 6 degrees. – That is, if latter years’ temperature increases do not radically change the weather conditions in this part of the world.

To find out more about the type of seeds stored at the Svalbard facility, visit the Svalbard Global Seed Vault web portal.

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Budrått | Means milk products in Norwegian

Budrått is a Norwegian noun that means the output of milk products on a farm – such as cheese and butter. The word is often associated with what was produced during the summer on the seasonal mountain or forest pasture farm – the seter.

The old Norwegian farm | The Stornæve farm saga

Per O. Rød wrote the history of the Stornæve farm and its inhabitants back in 1968. Decades earlier, several children of Stornæve had emigrated to the US.

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Norway | A land of water

In the spring, the snow covering most of the Norwegian mountains melts and turns into creeks, rivers, and magnificent waterfalls.

Stabbur | The food storehouse on the old Norwegian farm

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Practical farming in Norway in 1815 | The month of February

February was the month when the historical Norwegian farmer had to be vigilant about the housebound livestock’s remaining fodder. It was still only midwinter.

Uff da! | What does the Norwegian expression mean?

Uff da! is a Norwegian interjection, often used to express sympathy. For example when a child falls over: Uff da! Slo du deg? – meaning Poor you! Did you hurt yourself?

Do we show our ancestors the respect they deserve?

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Kipe | Means a basket in Norwegian

A kipe is a tall, woven basket, often made of twigs from the birch tree. It was carried on the back, and typically used when carrying loads in a landscape full of steep fields and paths.

The global seed vault | An Arctic Noah’s ark

A global backup facility

More seeds every year

Mother Nature’s own freezer