"Bountiful Arctic Harvest"

[Roxy]

A small article from the current issue of Ode Magazine:

Norway:

An enormous vault is being built to preserve the agricultural biodiversity of the planet in the event of a catastrophe. The soon-to-be completed project encompasses more than 1.5 billion seeds from three million different crops, according to India's environmental magazine "Down to Earth" (July 31, 2006). This unconvential cryopreservation lab is located 70 metres (75 yards) down into a frozen mountain on a remote Norwegian island near the North Pole. In order to reduce the chances of a thaw, seeds will be kept at a temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit). "Down to Earth" reports the facility will start stocking seeds next September. More than 100 countries are participating in the Norwegian-financed, $3 million U.S. (2.4 million euro) project.

I certainly hope they are cryopreserving seeds from organic crops and not billions of seeds from GM crops belonging to companies such as Monsanto.

[Seaside]

I shouldn't think so Roxy, that would be too risky for the future of the environment. I suppose there's always a chance that Monsanto is the one funding the project, in which case it would be very bad news. Hopefully the people in charge have a choice as to what seeds they will accept, and are beholden to no one but themselves and their interest in the environment.

[rantipole]

This interesting, but I wish they were also preserving seeds of wild plants as well. There are a number of endangered plants that can use all the help they can get.

Cheers,
rant

[Roxy]

That's a really good point!

[Risker]

in the event of a catastrophe.

What sort of catastrophe?

[Roxy]

Not really sure - that's the whole article there in the quote lol. I'm thinking something along the lines of the Soylent Green movie. Maybe some kind of war or nuclear catastrophe or some kind of massive natural catastrophe?

[whalespace]

What sort of catastrophe?

Catastrophe like deforestation and desertification, and that big flood maybe.
I hope medicine plant seeds will be saved aswell.

The vegan run Plants For A Future project has got a good collection of seeds [and a searchable database] at:

http://www.pfaf.org/

.