New seeds deposited in Svalbard Global Seed Vault

File photo taken on June 19, 2024 shows the entrance of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Longyearbyen, Norway. A total of 14,000 seed samples from 21 gene banks are being deposited this week in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the Norwegian government announced on Feb. 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)

OSLO, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A total of 14,000 seed samples from 21 gene banks are being deposited this week in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the Norwegian government announced on Wednesday.

The latest deposit includes vital crop varieties from around the world.

"The seed vault is about our world's food security. It is fantastic to be here to receive new seeds to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, also from several new depositors and countries," said Norwegian State Secretary Hanne-Berit Brekken at the deposit ceremony.

Following the ceremony, the inaugural Svalbard International Dialogue will convene high-level government officials and experts to discuss challenges of preserving crop diversity amid increasing environmental pressures and global conflicts.

This week's deposit marks the 66th such event. Since its inauguration in 2008, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault has received seed samples from 123 seed banks across the world.

With a capacity to hold up to 4.5 million distinct seed varieties, the vault can accommodate duplicates of every unique seed variant stored in global gene banks, as well as any new types procured in the future. ■

File photo taken on June 19, 2024 shows people walking toward the entrance of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Longyearbyen, Norway. A total of 14,000 seed samples from 21 gene banks are being deposited this week in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the Norwegian government announced on Feb. 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)