The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the most comprehensive repository of the world's agricultural diversity created in the remote island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic, is a symbol of humanity's concern for its long-term future. The vault is the international community's response to the many challenges to agriculture, the most formidable of which may be climate change. A global seed collection can help avert a catastrophic downturn in agriculture caused by conflict, war or climate change. By storing duplicate seed collections under optimal conditions