Editor's Summary
27 March 2008
Radicle solutions
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, built underground near the village of Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen in Norway, is now open and gathering seeds. With its temperature guaranteed for the foreseeable future by its Arctic surroundings, it is the ultimate back-up to the 1,400 national and regional seed banks worldwide. But more needs to be done to safeguard food diversity. Some experts are advocating a pro-active programme of genetic manipulation to breed and grow crops that can resist drought and other impending dangers. Michael Hopkin reports.
News Feature: Biodiversity: Frozen futures
The 'Doomsday vault' buried in the Arctic ice will provide a backup for the world's seeds. But more needs to be done to safeguard food diversity, says Michael Hopkin.
Michael Hopkin
doi:10.1038/452404a