The Banks That Prevent—Rather Than Cause—Global Crises Written by: Maggie Koerth-Baker Presentation by: Megan Finnerty Article found in Discover Magazine

More than 1,000 organizations around world ▫U▫USDA ▫I▫International Potato Center ▫M▫Millennium Seed Bank ▫S▫Svalbard Global Seed Vault ▫I▫International Rice Research Institute

Vaults hold the seeds in this format Used for preserving crops and cataloging the seeds

The Facts 75% of plant diversity lost in last century Humans cultivate 200 of 30,000 edible species 60% plant calories from wheat, rice, and corn

Diversity Loss Won because of ▫Disease resistance ▫Good yield ▫Quality of the grain Bad because of ▫Die if catches disease ▫Drought ▫Different climate ▫Fertilizer use

International Rice Research Institute Over 110,000 seeds are placed here Found SUB1A gene ▫Rice can live submerged for 2 weeks

What does it create? Diversity Can slow fungi spread ▫Two of the same product in one field

Pros vs. Cons of seed storage

Would you have a problem eating food that was genetically altered like the rice underwater? Why?

Is going around natural selection right?

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