The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway
Deep inside a mountain on a remote archipelago in the Arctic Ocean lies a global treasure of biodiversity – the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. This massive underground facility, carved out of permafrost and safeguarded by concrete walls and steel doors, contains millions of seed samples from every corner of the world.
The seeds, stored at a frigid -18°C (-0.4°F), represent a backup of the world’s agricultural diversity, protecting against the loss of vital crops due to natural disasters, climate change, or man-made disasters. The vault is designed to be impregnable to virtually any threat, from nuclear war to global pandemics. Despite its importance, the seed vault is strictly off-limits to the public, with only a handful of international scientists and experts permitted access to its inner sanctum. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is not just a marvel of engineering and science, but also a testament to humanity’s collective responsibility to safeguard the planet’s natural resources for future generations.