1. Cooperation on crop diversity, utilization and safety back-up NMR/FAO workshop 18 November, 2009 Venue: World Food Summit, Rome Roland von Bothmer, NordGen

2. Collaboration on conservation and utilization of PGR since 30 years The Nordic countries Iceland Sweden Norway Finland Denmark

3. The Nordic area: large regional differences!

4. PIIKIÖ, Finland 2008 The Nordic area has unique, old varieties but no or only marginal breeding in many crops

5. DIVERSITY IN OATS: Nordic material has a very limited variation Nordic oats

6. USE OF PGR MUST INCREASE!!! Climate change will have a strong impact on future agriculture Genetic resources are currently underutilized Pre-breeding is a necessary prerequisite for long-term, sustainable agricultural development

7. Efficient UTILIZATION of PGR must be promoted – NordGen will be a centre also for PRE-BREEDING

8. Gene bank operation is ”low tech” - dried seeds in a freezer!! The value of PGR lies in the information, the more we know about them, the more valuable are they!

9. International Policy Framework The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 1993 and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) 2004 Same objectives: Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from their use.

10. LOSS OF PGR!! Even now, unique genetic resources in genebanks are lost due to unforeseen, practical causes. There is a great need for international collaboration concerning long term safety back up systems for conservation. That is why THE GLOBAL SEED VAULT was established

11. NGB safety deposit started in an abandoned coalmine in Svalbard in the 1980s

12. Where? Svalbard, Norway 74-81° North, 10- 35 ° East

13. Our future food security depends on crop diversity The genebanks are vulnerable to a wide range of threats: civil strife, war, natural catastrophes, lack of adequate funding, equipment failures, and other reasons The time is ripe: The International Treaty provides a framework for collaboration Why Svalbard Global Seed Vault?

14. Vision A global security net Svalbard Global Seed Vault shall be the securest possible back-up storage site for a global system of ex situ collections of crop diversity Svalbard Global Seed Vault shall have the capacity to conserve all unique plant genetic diversity held in conventional seed banks around the world

15. Part of a global system In situ Wild protected areas On-farm conservation Ex situ  Genebanks: seeds and cryopreservation  Field collections

16. THE SVALBARD GLOBAL SEED VAULT

17. The Structure  Storage halls embedded in solid rock; 120 m. into the mountainside  130 m. above sea; above worst case climate change scenario  Geologically (and politically?) stable location  Temperature maintained at -18°C  Permafrost provides natural freeze guarantee at -4 °C in the event of equipment failure  Monitoring and surveillance with gas-, temperature- and motion- detectors

18. The VAULT in summer and winter

19. The Organization The Norwegian government: the liable national authority. NordGen: responsibility for the management and operation. The Global Crop Diversity Trust: Funding the operation. Funding shipment of seeds from eligible collections. International Advisory Council oversees the operation of the Vault

20. Terms and conditions (1)  Storage free of charge for public and private holders of PGRFA  Black box - will never be opened  Viability testing - regeneration - multiplication responsibility remains with the depositor  Information access on public online data portal  Withdrawal on request

21. Terms and conditions (2) Availability of samples of accessions and non confidential information:  Annex 1 of IT  Article 15.1(b) or Article 15.3 of IT  None of the above: Terms and conditions that are substantially the same as Part IV of IT Originated in country of depositor - applicable international agreements

22. Handling of seeds

23. Package of seeds

24. Transport of seeds

25. Seed shipment arrives to Svalbard

26. THE VAULT gets great attention – which puts PGR in focus!

28. TWO MESSAGES: Sustainable utilization of PGRFA must increase! The global long term, safety duplication system should be more widely used!

29. Thank you Seed Portal: www.nordgen.org/sgsv www.seedvault.no