Through war, wildfire and pandemic, the world’s seed vaults hold strong

A network of international centers preserves regional plant diversity and makes seeds available to researchers and plant breeders under the conditions of the Plant Treaty, not only to respond to regional disasters but also to develop new varieties that are resilient in the face of challenges such as drought and disease. Both the Svalbard vault and the Millennium Seed Bank have responded in the wake of catastrophe – including the Syrian way, Australia’s bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Gene banks are an important part of conservation but they are not sufficient on their own. A continuum exists between ex situ and in situ conservation, so the wild places and agro-ecosystems these plants come from must also be protected.