Protecting the Future of Food

Posted by Guru

March 5, 2008

What could be so important that it must be stored six hundred miles from the North Pole, buried 500 feet in a frozen mountain in a vault designed to withstand natural disasters or explosions?

Millions of varieties of seeds, from banks all over the world, are being collected for the Global Seed Vault, according to an article in Sunday’s New York Times. The Vault, which is run by the Global Crop Diversity Trust, is an attempt to protect one of humankind’s most valuable resources from extinction or destruction.

While farmers around the world used to practice seed-saving techniques, increased mechanization, trends toward to monoculture, and climate change have changed the face of traditional agriculture, and are leading to the loss of heirloom plant varieties. At stake are more than just a few kinds of carrots or squash, however. Agricultural scientists worry that as the world’s crop diversity vanishes, the few existing varieties could be completely wiped out by diseases, pests, or changes in weather patterns, leaving us with a food crisis similar to the devastating potato famine in Ireland in the1800s.

Of course, from the chef’s perspective, agricultural diversity is always welcome - just think how the subtle differences in tomato varieties can affect your favorite sauce recipe. While it’s nice to know that a vault in Norway is protecting the precious gems of genetic diversity, why leave this important work to just one organization? We can all play a role in keeping our food supply safe - an easy way to start is by buying produce from small, local farms.

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