Matteo De Vos
FFS 016 - The Most Important Room In The World
In this week’s special episode, I had the honour of speaking with Dr. Cary Fowler, the “father” of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
Cary has been working to preserve crop diversity for over four decades, he is the former Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and has been described by former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as an “inspirational symbol of peace and food security for the entire humanity”. His work is a true inspiration for agriculturalists, archivists and environmentalists across the globe.
We discuss:
What crop diversity means and why it’s the most important natural resource on Earth
Why sustaining crop diversity and saving seeds are vital as we brace for climate change
The history and role of seed banks and why they are under threat
How the Global Crop Diversity Trust is spearheading global efforts to protect seed banks
Why the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is the most important room in the world
Cary’s final words of wisdom
Links:
Cary Fowler (2016) Seeds on Ice: Svalbard and the Global Seed Vault
Cary Fowler (1990) Shattering: Food, Politics, and the Loss of Genetic Diversity
Cary Fowler TED Talk: One seed at a time, protecting the future of food
GoPro Cause Documentary 'Forever Securing World Food Supply with Crop Trust'