The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which opened in 2008, now holds 1.25 million seed samples from nearly every country in the world.

They will split a $500,000 (€464,000) award. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised them for their critical role in preserving crop diversity worldwide.

Fowler and Hawtin led the effort to build the vault, which opened in 2008 and now holds 1.25 million seed samples from nearly every country. The vault, built into a mountain on a Norwegian island in the Arctic Circle, provides protection against political and environmental threats.

Initially met with scepticism, the idea of a seed vault has proven essential in safeguarding crop diversity against climate change.

Both laureates emphasize the importance of securing additional funding for seed bank endowments globally, highlighting the relatively low cost of maintaining such operations compared to their crucial role in food security. The World Food Prize, founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug, will be awarded at the annual Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in October.

 

Source: euronews.com