50,000 Seeds Were Deposited in the Arctic ‘Doomsday Vault’ as Insurance for Humanity’s Survival

In case you didn’t know, we have a legitimate “Doomsday Vault” nestled in the Arctic that has just received 50,000 new seed samples. Just, you know, insurance policy for the inevitable doom of mankind.

The Global Seed Vault was opened in 2008 to preserve specimens which would come in handy if wars or natural disasters wiped out global food crops. It was built more than 100 metres into a frozen sandstone mountain, on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

Just recently, the vault welcomed a hefty deposit of 50,000 seeds. It included seed samples of some of the world’s most vital food sources, such as potato, sorghum, rice, barley, chickpea, lentil and wheat.

Since the vault opened, a total of 940,000 seed varieties have been deposited; among them, almost 150,000 varieties of rice.

@MailOnline The doomsday seed vault in the Arctic Circle opens to receive ICARDA #seeds4tomorrow https://t.co/bqTFiFgB2O @phoeb0 @CropTrust pic.twitter.com/R4ZFXipLqn

— ICARDA (@ICARDA_CGIAR) February 23, 2017

CPC potato seeds boxed up for storage! @CropTrust @jameshuttoninstitute @huttoncms pic.twitter.com/XVAhVq6BB9

— Glenn Bryan (@potatodoctor) February 23, 2017

It’s pretty mind-blowing to think somewhere deep in the Norwegian permafrost we have back-up copies of seed varieties from all over the world. Scientists who work at the vault say preserving the world’s seeds is key to ensuring crop diversity and food security in the face of climate change and political instability.

Almost every single country in the world is represented in the vault. In Australia’s stack of boxes, there are 11,000 seeds, most of which were deposited by the Australian Grains Genebank and the Australian Pastures Genebank.

Benin, India, Pakistan, Lebanon, Morocco, Netherlands, US, Mexico, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belarus & UK deposit seeds: https://t.co/mQock0CXfq pic.twitter.com/1J86OgpyM5

— The Crop Trust (@CropTrust) February 23, 2017

"This natural resource is too important to be left to uncertainty," says @CropTrust M. Haga @PopSci https://t.co/dxOIUmoO5O #seeds4tomorrow pic.twitter.com/HbpeTLogWk

— The Crop Trust (@CropTrust) February 23, 2017

Well, at least we’re—somewhat—ready for doomsday?

Photo: The Crop Trust