permafrost should they ever fail and have the ability to maintain the seeds at a below-freezing temperature for approximately two centuries, as Cary Fowler, an American agriculturist who led the effort to establish the vault, wrote in his 2016 book, “Seeds on Ice: Svalbard and the Global Seed Vault.” Asdal tells The Rooted Journal that when he’s at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, he is “amazed by all the efforts that scientists and gene bank workers from around the world invest in keeping and maintaining their genetic material, and trusting us to take care of their backup samples.” He adds that “crop diversity is crucial,” and encourages people to “use and eat more diverse food products, support politicians that allocate resources to gene banks and plant breeders, and take care of nature and wild flora, where genetic diversity in principle is found.” Today, agriculture faces unprecedented challenges. According to estimates from a 2023 United Nations report on the state of food security globally, between 691 and 783 million people dealt with hunger in 2022, and with the population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 (up from more than 8 billion today), food production will need to meet that demand. All of this must occur against a challenging backdrop: dwindling water supplies, less arable land, and other effects of climate change including the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and changing precipitation patterns. Biodiversity experts believe that seeds will play perhaps the most crucial role in the future of food production. This pressing moment echoes what Vavilov so adamantly advocated for over 100 years ago: genetic diversity.
IKOLAI VAVILOV, the institute’s director, was inspired to start the world’s first seed bank after witnessing brutal famines in his youth. He believed that
“Seeds are a living germ plasm and although you can, under the best
the emerging field of genetics held the key to overcoming such disasters and argued that modern domesticated crops were particularly vulnerable due to inbreeding and genetic uniformity, leaving them unadaptable in the face of environmental hardships. In contrast, he found that wild crops were hardier and more diverse, leading Vavilov to crossbreed wild species with domesticated ones to create more resilient food crops. In short, Vavilov was an early advocate of what we now call biodiversity. Today, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a descendant of the Vavilov Institute, safeguards more than half a billion replicated seeds — with the capacity to store up to 2.5 billion — on one of the world’s most remote islands; the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is so far north that it’s closer to the North Pole than the Arctic Circle. Its collection includes seeds that originated from the Vavilov Institute, making up what Time magazine has called “one of the most historically significant deposits of seeds inside the vault.” According to Åsmund Asdal, a biologist and agronomist responsible for seed deposits into the Svalbard vault, the replicated seeds stored there are conserved in three locations: the gene bank that’s home to the original seeds, a partner gene bank, and, of course, the Svalbard vault — which acts as the ultimate backup facility. This multilayered approach ensures the seeds’ preservation in worst- case scenarios (for example, a refrigeration system failure in the event of a catastrophe) and their availability for future use. While Svalbard is inhospitable to most forms of agriculture, which might make it seem like an unsuitable home for the world’s largest and most diverse agricultural seed collection, in reality, it is precisely the Svalbard vault’s isolated location that keeps its collection safe. Completed in 2008 and built 150 meters, or about 492 feet, into a sandstone mountain, the vault’s temperature is maintained at minus 18 degrees Celsius, or minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit, by refrigeration systems. These systems are protected by the mountain’s
Grow Your Own While traveling to the Arctic to see some of the world’s rarest seeds is left to fantasy, you can grow some rare varietals in your own backyard using these resources.
conditions, store them for a very long time, eventually they’ll die,” says Mike Bollinger,
SISKIYOU SEEDS siskiyouseeds.com
Siskiyou is a small farm with a big mission: to provide growers of all scales with organic, open-pollinated seeds. What makes Siskiyou particularly unique is that the farm actually grows most of the seeds it sells on-site, with a “show me, don’t tell me” ethos. The farm offers seeds that thrive in a range of climates, supporting local agriculture through a hands-on approach to agriculture.
ADAPTIVE SEEDS adaptiveseeds.com
Located in Sweet Home, Oregon, Adaptive Seeds was founded in 2009 by Andrew Still and Sarah Kleeger. They have a vast selection of rare and diverse seed varieties, while focusing on cultivating those that are resilient and well-suited to the unique climates of the Pacific Northwest, selling only public-domain, open-pollinated seeds, as well as diverse gene pool mixes. Plus, they provide some excellent growing resources and educational tools.
director of the U.S. nonprofit Seed Savers Exchange. “Part of what you need to do is regenerate that germ plasm to keep it living. The participatory
UPRISING SEEDS uprisingorganics.com
This certified organic seed farm run by a family in Bellingham, Washington, is dedicated to providing high-quality, open-pollinated, and heirloom seeds. They emphasize the creation of a smarter, healthier relationship to the land, supporting local farmers and gardeners through diverse seed offerings and educational resources. WANDERLUST NURSERY wanderlustnursery.com Wanderlust Nursery takes pride in not being your “garden- variety” nursery. Located in Seattle, Washington, the business offers a range of rare and exotic plants from around the world inspired by the owners’ travels. They also happen to thrive in the Pacific Northwest climate.
JOHNNY’S SELECTED SEEDS johnnyseeds.com
Johnny’s Selected Seeds, headquartered in Winslow, Maine, supplies high-quality seeds and tools for home gardeners and commercial farmers. Renowned for their high standards, Johnny’s offers a diverse selection of organic and non-GMO seeds, emphasizing innovation and next-level quality assurance. The business even offers a full range of online content, which it calls a Grower’s Library, full of resources to help budding farmers and gardeners.
work in our exchange is crucial.”
ONE GREEN WORLD onegreenworld.com
One Green World specializes in unique and rare fruiting plants, trees, and shrubs from around the world (bananas and Surinam cherry, anyone?). The company prioritizes healthy growing practices, with a focus on all things edible while working to ensure that everyone has access to delicious and nutritious homegrown fruits and veggies.
WILD GARDEN SEED wildgardenseed.com
Wild Garden Seed — founded in 1994 in Oregon’s Willamette Valley region — specializes in on-farm breeding, producing a wide array of organic, open-pollinated seeds. Owners Frank and Karen Morton are known for their innovative and diverse offerings, and support farmers and gardeners with high-quality seeds that speak to the climate, latitude, soil, water, and resources of their landscape. — ADAM SHERRETT
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ISSUE 01
SEEDS OF RESILIENCE
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