The Arc

The Global Seed Vault

Global Crop Diversity Trust (The global organization for crop diversity) is an international organization working to eradicate poverty and preserve the environment through securing preservation of seeds and genetic material from plants with an importance for the world’s food supply. The focus is on ensuring diversity, as it is believed that it is of the utmost importance to achieve sustainable and productive agriculture. NordGen (Nordisk Genressurssenter) works with preservation and use of genetic resources within agriculture and forestry in the North. This involves preserving seeds from varieties of agricultural plants, cultivation of plants with vegetative propagation and information work on genetic diversity. Crop Trust and NordGen are important partners in the daily operation of the Global Seed Vault. Exhibitions and experiences about the Seed Vault will show the fascinating history of agriculture and how we have become increasingly better at growing crops. It will also explain our ability to secure the world's food supply in the face of climate change, including through the Seed Vault's collections. The exhibitions will show that we are dependent on preserving genetic diversity, because we don’t know what we will need in the future. This part of the center will explain how the seeds are preserved, who owns them, their origination and how they are a part of a greater global agricultural system.