Press Releases
For more information contact Jeff Haskins at +254 729 871 422 (Kenya) or jhaskins@burnesscommunications.com
26 February 2008: Arctic Seed Vault Opens Doors for 100 Million Seeds
Ceremony Marking Unprecedented Effort to Protect Global Agriculture Draws
World Leaders and Seeds from Over 100 Countries
[English] [Français] [Deutsch] [Italiano] [Español]
Video from Svalbard Global Seed Vault
This video footage is provided free of charge to media provided proper credit information is included.
16 November 2007: Engineers Begin Critical “Cooling Down” of Arctic Doomsday Seed Vault for Deep Freeze and 24-Hour Polar Night
Refrigeration units began pumping chilly air deep into an Arctic mountain cavern today, launching the innovative and critical “cooling down” phase of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in advance of its official opening early next year as a fail-safe repository of the world’s vital food crops. Svalbard is now three days into the three-month “Polar Night” period when there is 24 hours of complete darkness.
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Français: Des ingénieurs lancent le « refroidissement » crucial de la « chambre forte du Jugement dernier » pour la congélation et la nuit polaire permanente
Les unités de réfrigération ont commencé à pomper aujourd’hui l’air glacé qu’elles injectent dans les profondeurs d’une caverne montagneuse arctique pour lancer la phase de « refroidissement » innovante et cruciale du Dépôt international pour les semences de Svalbard. Ce dernier sera officiellement ouvert au début de l’année prochaine et constituera un dépôt à sûreté intégrée des principales cultures vivrières mondiales. Svalbard est désormais plongé depuis trois jours et pour trois mois dans la « nuit polaire ». Pendant cette période, l’obscurité est complète et permanente.
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Español: Ingenieros comienzan “Enfriamiento” Crítico de la Bóveda Ártica del Fin del Mundo para Congelamiento y Noche Polar de 24 Horas
Hoy las unidades de refrigeración comenzaron a bombear aire frío en la caverna de la montaña Ártica, poniendo en marcha la innovadora y crítica fase de “enfriamiento” de la Bóveda Global de Semillas de Svalbard, antes de su inauguración oficial a principios del año que viene como un depósito a prueba de fallas de los cultivos alimenticios vitales del mundo. Svalbard ya lleva tres días del período de “Noche Polar” de tres meses, donde hay 24 horas de oscuridad total.
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Italiano: Gli ingegneri hanno dato inizio al cruciale raffreddamento del deposito artico di sementi, detto "dell'Apocalisse", per portarlo ad uno stadio di congelamento profondo, nella notte polare lunga 24 ore
Oggi le unità di raffreddamento hanno iniziato a pompare aria gelata nel profondo della caverna nella montagna artica, dando inizio alla fase critica e innovativa del raffreddamento del deposito internazionale di sementi di Svalbard, in anticipo sulla sua apertura officiale all' inizio del prossimo anno, che lo consacrerà come il deposito più sicuro delle più importanti colture del mondo. Svalbard é già da tre giorni nella notte polare che dura tre mesi, durante la quale le giornate hanno 24 ore di totale oscurità.
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23 July 2007: United States Congress Agriculture Committee Approves Contribution of $60 Million to Conserve the World’s Most Important Food Crops Download PDF
19 April 2007: Gates Foundation Funds Efforts to rescue 95 percent of World's Endangered Critital Crop Biodiversity Download PDF
19 Avril 2007: La Fondation Gates finance les efforts menés pour sauver 95 pour cent de la biodiversité des cultures fondamentales en danger dans le monde Download PDF
19 Abril 2007: La Fundación Gates financia esfuerzos para reuperar el 95 por ciento de la biodiversidad agrícola en peligro del mundo
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19 Aprile 2007: Fondazione Gates finanza sforzi per salvare il 95 per cento della diversità delle colture in via di estinzione nel mondo
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19 April 2007: Gates-Stiftung unterstützt Rettung von 95 Prozent der gefährdeten Nutzpflanzen-Vielfalt Download PDF
12 March 2007: New Agreement to Permanently Secure Biodiversity of Rice, The World’s Most Important, and Most Consumed Crop
The Global Crop Diversity Trust and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) unveiled an agreement today to secure the world’s largest repository of rice varieties—conserving forever the extraordinary diversity of arguably the world’s most important crop. Today, about three billion people depend on rice for their survival, with the thousands of varieties carefully stored at IRRI providing the last line of defense between them and possible famine–especially in times of war, natural disasters, and attacks from pests and diseases. The agreement offers, for the first time in the history of modern agricultural research, stable and long-term support to an unrivalled collection of genetic diversity of a food crop.
Download PDF
16 February 2007: Global Crop Diversity Trust Announces New Board
The Global Crop Diversity Trust announced today the confirmation of eight new Board members, representing the highest levels of the corporate, academic and political worlds. Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai is among those who will serve on the Trust's highest body. Download PDF
9 February 2007: Architectural Plan Revealed of Doomsday Arctic Seed Vault
The Norwegian government has revealed the architectural design for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, to be carved deep into frozen rock on an island not far from the North Pole. The entrance to the “fail-safe” seed vault will “gleam like a gem in the midnight sun,” signaling a priceless treasure within: seed samples of nearly every food crop of every country. The vault is designed to protect the agricultural heritage of humankind—the seeds essential to agriculture of every nation.
Download PDF
Generation Challenge Programme and Global Crop Diversity Trust sign commitment to collaborate
Download PDF
Die globale Nutzpflanzenvielfalt muss erhalten werden
Download PDF
€3 million Irish Aid Pledge for Crop Diversity on World Food Day
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Scientists to Employ Arctic Ice and Polar Bears To Protect Diversity of World’s Crops
Download PDF
Français: Des scientifiques pour l’emploi des glaces arctiques et des ours blancs afin de protéger la diversité mondiale des cultures
Download PDF
Español: Científicos a Emplear Hielo Ártico y Osos Polares para Proteger la Diversidad de los Cultivos Mundiales
Download PDF
Italiano: Ghiaccio artico e orsi polari a tutela della diversità delle colture mondiali
Download PDF
Deutsch: Wissenschaftler nutzen arktisches Eis und Polarbären zum Schutz der weltweiten Kulturpflanzenvielfalt
Download PDF
26 February 2008: Arctic Seed Vault Opens Doors for 100 Million Seeds
Ceremony Marking Unprecedented Effort to Protect Global Agriculture Draws
World Leaders and Seeds from Over 100 Countries
[English] [Français] [Deutsch] [Italiano] [Español]
Video from Svalbard Global Seed Vault
This video footage is provided free of charge to media provided proper credit information is included.
- Seed vault b-roll Quicktime PAL. DV Resolution 720x480 (1024x576) 25 FPS. Contact to request tape. [credit: Mari Tefre/Global Crop Diversity Trust]
- Part I: Construction of seed vault and stock shots of Svalbard (TRT 4:27, 936 MB - warning large file)
- Part II: Interview with Cary Fowler (TRT 3:26, 720 MB - warning large file)
- Part III: Interview with Wangari Maathai (TRT 2:15, 475 MB - warning large file)
- Preparing rice collection for Svalbard [credit: IRRI]
- IRRI_Seed_Preparation.wmv (24 MB; userid: jeff; password: burness)
- Video/Photos and Agenda from opening ceremony. To access download, email for password. [credit: Dinamo Story]
- Video from opening ceremony for DOWNLOAD
- Video from opening ceremony for VIEWING
- Media agenda for opening ceremony
16 November 2007: Engineers Begin Critical “Cooling Down” of Arctic Doomsday Seed Vault for Deep Freeze and 24-Hour Polar Night
Refrigeration units began pumping chilly air deep into an Arctic mountain cavern today, launching the innovative and critical “cooling down” phase of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in advance of its official opening early next year as a fail-safe repository of the world’s vital food crops. Svalbard is now three days into the three-month “Polar Night” period when there is 24 hours of complete darkness.
Download PDF
Français: Des ingénieurs lancent le « refroidissement » crucial de la « chambre forte du Jugement dernier » pour la congélation et la nuit polaire permanente
Les unités de réfrigération ont commencé à pomper aujourd’hui l’air glacé qu’elles injectent dans les profondeurs d’une caverne montagneuse arctique pour lancer la phase de « refroidissement » innovante et cruciale du Dépôt international pour les semences de Svalbard. Ce dernier sera officiellement ouvert au début de l’année prochaine et constituera un dépôt à sûreté intégrée des principales cultures vivrières mondiales. Svalbard est désormais plongé depuis trois jours et pour trois mois dans la « nuit polaire ». Pendant cette période, l’obscurité est complète et permanente.
Download PDF
Español: Ingenieros comienzan “Enfriamiento” Crítico de la Bóveda Ártica del Fin del Mundo para Congelamiento y Noche Polar de 24 Horas
Hoy las unidades de refrigeración comenzaron a bombear aire frío en la caverna de la montaña Ártica, poniendo en marcha la innovadora y crítica fase de “enfriamiento” de la Bóveda Global de Semillas de Svalbard, antes de su inauguración oficial a principios del año que viene como un depósito a prueba de fallas de los cultivos alimenticios vitales del mundo. Svalbard ya lleva tres días del período de “Noche Polar” de tres meses, donde hay 24 horas de oscuridad total.
Download PDF
Italiano: Gli ingegneri hanno dato inizio al cruciale raffreddamento del deposito artico di sementi, detto "dell'Apocalisse", per portarlo ad uno stadio di congelamento profondo, nella notte polare lunga 24 ore
Oggi le unità di raffreddamento hanno iniziato a pompare aria gelata nel profondo della caverna nella montagna artica, dando inizio alla fase critica e innovativa del raffreddamento del deposito internazionale di sementi di Svalbard, in anticipo sulla sua apertura officiale all' inizio del prossimo anno, che lo consacrerà come il deposito più sicuro delle più importanti colture del mondo. Svalbard é già da tre giorni nella notte polare che dura tre mesi, durante la quale le giornate hanno 24 ore di totale oscurità.
Download PDF
23 July 2007: United States Congress Agriculture Committee Approves Contribution of $60 Million to Conserve the World’s Most Important Food Crops Download PDF
19 April 2007: Gates Foundation Funds Efforts to rescue 95 percent of World's Endangered Critital Crop Biodiversity Download PDF
19 Avril 2007: La Fondation Gates finance les efforts menés pour sauver 95 pour cent de la biodiversité des cultures fondamentales en danger dans le monde Download PDF
19 Abril 2007: La Fundación Gates financia esfuerzos para reuperar el 95 por ciento de la biodiversidad agrícola en peligro del mundo
Download PDF
19 Aprile 2007: Fondazione Gates finanza sforzi per salvare il 95 per cento della diversità delle colture in via di estinzione nel mondo
Download PDF
19 April 2007: Gates-Stiftung unterstützt Rettung von 95 Prozent der gefährdeten Nutzpflanzen-Vielfalt Download PDF
12 March 2007: New Agreement to Permanently Secure Biodiversity of Rice, The World’s Most Important, and Most Consumed Crop
The Global Crop Diversity Trust and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) unveiled an agreement today to secure the world’s largest repository of rice varieties—conserving forever the extraordinary diversity of arguably the world’s most important crop. Today, about three billion people depend on rice for their survival, with the thousands of varieties carefully stored at IRRI providing the last line of defense between them and possible famine–especially in times of war, natural disasters, and attacks from pests and diseases. The agreement offers, for the first time in the history of modern agricultural research, stable and long-term support to an unrivalled collection of genetic diversity of a food crop.
Download PDF
16 February 2007: Global Crop Diversity Trust Announces New Board
The Global Crop Diversity Trust announced today the confirmation of eight new Board members, representing the highest levels of the corporate, academic and political worlds. Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai is among those who will serve on the Trust's highest body. Download PDF
9 February 2007: Architectural Plan Revealed of Doomsday Arctic Seed Vault
The Norwegian government has revealed the architectural design for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, to be carved deep into frozen rock on an island not far from the North Pole. The entrance to the “fail-safe” seed vault will “gleam like a gem in the midnight sun,” signaling a priceless treasure within: seed samples of nearly every food crop of every country. The vault is designed to protect the agricultural heritage of humankind—the seeds essential to agriculture of every nation.
Download PDF
Generation Challenge Programme and Global Crop Diversity Trust sign commitment to collaborate
Download PDF
Die globale Nutzpflanzenvielfalt muss erhalten werden
Download PDF
€3 million Irish Aid Pledge for Crop Diversity on World Food Day
Download PDF
Scientists to Employ Arctic Ice and Polar Bears To Protect Diversity of World’s Crops
Download PDF
Français: Des scientifiques pour l’emploi des glaces arctiques et des ours blancs afin de protéger la diversité mondiale des cultures
Download PDF
Español: Científicos a Emplear Hielo Ártico y Osos Polares para Proteger la Diversidad de los Cultivos Mundiales
Download PDF
Italiano: Ghiaccio artico e orsi polari a tutela della diversità delle colture mondiali
Download PDF
Deutsch: Wissenschaftler nutzen arktisches Eis und Polarbären zum Schutz der weltweiten Kulturpflanzenvielfalt
Download PDF