Svalbard, Norway: seeding the future
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which will house and protect crop seeds from around the world, is nearing completion. It will be housed inside a frozen mountain near Longyearbyen, Norway. (Nabil Najjar / For the Times)
Another look deep into the “doomsday” seed vault. The Norwegian government has paid for its construction. The Global Crop Diversity Trust will operate the vault and underwrite day-to-day operations. (Nabil Najjar / For the Times)
This is a library of life, says Cary Fowler, director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, which operates the vault and is devoted to protecting seeds like those he carries. Well be taking the knowledge embodied in these genes to fashion new solutions. (Pierre-Henry Deshayes / AFP / Getty Images)
Longyearbyen, the northernmost inhabited place on Earth, was once a rugged coal mining community. These days, with the construction of the seed vault nearby, the scientists are taking over. (Nabil Najjar / For the Times)
