# Ukraine’s giant seed bank at risk of being lost as war rages Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-05-31 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Ukraine's Seed Bank at Risk: Urgent Need for Seed Meta Description: Discover the risk to nearly 2,000 crops stored in Ukraine's seed bank due to ongoing conflict and damage, impacting global food security. URL: https://financedigest.com/ukraines-giant-seed-bank-at-risk-of-being-lost-as-war-rageshtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-05-31t140550z1lynxmpei4u0lprtroptp4ukraine-crisis-seeds-1736815673055-compressed.jpg) By Maytaal Angel LONDON (Reuters) – In underground vaults near [Ukraine’s](https://www.financedigest.com/france-says-belarus-could-face-more-sanctions-if-it-gets-increasingly-involved-in-ukraine-conflict.html) battlefields, the genetic code for nearly 2,000 crops is in danger of being permanently destroyed. The risk came into sharp focus earlier this month when a research facility near Ukraine’s national [seed](https://www.financedigest.com/the-stir-to-be-different-a-major-factor-of-growth-of-the-african-mango-seed-extract-market.html) bank was damaged, according to [Crop](https://www.financedigest.com/grain-and-cereal-crop-market-novel-technological-solutions-will-create-lucrative-growth-opportunities.html) Trust, a non profit organisation set up by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. The facility and Ukraine’s [seed](https://www.financedigest.com/the-stir-to-be-different-a-major-factor-of-growth-of-the-african-mango-seed-extract-market.html) bank are both based in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, which has [come under intense bombing from Russia forces](https://www.financedigest.com/the-glorious-twelfth-what-underwriters-should-be-doing-as-the-insurance-act-comes-into-force.html "The Glorious Twelfth: What Underwriters Should Be Doing As the Insurance Act Comes Into Force"). Reuters could not determine the [cause of the damage](https://www.financedigest.com/flood-most-damaging-peril-of-2016-causing-nearly-one-third-of-210bn-global-economic-losses-according-to-aon-catastrophe-report.html "Flood most damaging peril of 2016, causing nearly one-third of 0bn global economic losses – according to Aon catastrophe report") and [Crop](https://www.financedigest.com/grain-and-cereal-crop-market-novel-technological-solutions-will-create-lucrative-growth-opportunities.html) Trust said only that the research facility had been hit, but declined to give further detail, citing security regions. It was a narrow escape. Only 4% of the seeds in Ukraine’s store, the tenth largest of its kind in the world, has been backed up. Seed banks are a kind of [life insurance](https://www.financedigest.com/types-of-life-insurance.html "Types of Life Insurance") for mankind. They provide the [raw materials](https://www.financedigest.com/dulux-maker-akzo-nobel-lifts-outlook-on-easing-raw-material-costs.html "Dulux maker Akzo Nobel lifts outlook on easing raw material costs") for breeding new plant varieties resistant to drought, new pests, new diseases, and higher temperatures,” Stefan Schmitz, the executive director of [Crop](https://www.financedigest.com/grain-and-cereal-crop-market-novel-technological-solutions-will-create-lucrative-growth-opportunities.html) Trust, told Reuters. It would be a [tragic loss](https://www.financedigest.com/corporate-manslaughter-beyond-the-tragic-loss-of-lives-there-are-serious-consequences-to-businesses.html "Corporate Manslaughter Beyond the tragic loss of lives there are serious consequences to businesses") if Ukraine’s seed bank were destroyed. The director of the [seed](https://www.financedigest.com/the-stir-to-be-different-a-major-factor-of-growth-of-the-african-mango-seed-extract-market.html) bank could not be reached, [Ukraine’s academy of science declined to comment and Russia’s](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-action-wanes-at-u-n-to-isolate-russia-almost-six-months-into-ukraine-war.html "Analysis: Action wanes at U.N. to isolate Russia almost six months into Ukraine war") defence ministry did not immediately reply to request for commment on the damage. Researchers rely on the diverse genetic material that seed [banks store to breed plants that can withstand climate change](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-world-bank-seeks-more-funds-to-address-climate-change-other-crises-document.html "Exclusive-World Bank seeks more funds to address climate change, other crises -document") or disease. They have become increasingly vital to ensuring enough [food is produced each season to feed 7.9 billion people as the world’s](https://www.financedigest.com/world-food-prices-hit-record-high-in-2022.html "World food prices hit record high in 2022") weather becomes more extreme. At the same time, the [war between Russia and Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/euro-zone-economy-sentiment-rises-in-dec-first-time-since-start-of-ukraine-war.html "Euro zone economy sentiment rises in Dec, first time since start of Ukraine war"), the world’s third and fourth largest grain exporters respectively, has added to food price inflation and the danger of food scarcity, with protests breaking out in developing countries that normally benefit from [Ukraine’s](https://www.financedigest.com/france-says-belarus-could-face-more-sanctions-if-it-gets-increasingly-involved-in-ukraine-conflict.html) grain. SYRIA SAVED BY ARCTIC BACKUP The war in Syria has provided a lesson in the importance of [backing up seeds using the Svalbard Global](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-at-world-cup-saudi-crown-prince-moves-back-on-to-global-stage.html "Analysis-At World Cup, Saudi crown prince moves back on to global stage") Seed Vault in Norway, the world’s largest and most important seed backup or duplication facility. In 2015, the Svalbard vault was able to send replacement samples of wheat, barley and grasses suited to dry [regions to researchers in Lebanon after a seed bank](https://www.financedigest.com/danich-local-and-regional-banks-launch-mobile-wallet-powered-by-nets-new-hce-and-tokenisation-platform.html "DANICH LOCAL AND REGIONAL BANKS LAUNCH MOBILE WALLET POWERED BY NET’S NEW HCE AND TOKENISATION PLATFORM") near the Syrian city of Aleppo was destroyed. In total, Svalbard preserves more than a million seed samples in a vault built in an Arctic mountainside. These include 4% of [Ukraine’s 150,000 seeds – representing more than 1,800 crops](https://www.financedigest.com/traders-cut-ukraine-2022-combined-grain-and-oilseeds-crop-forecast.html "Traders cut Ukraine 2022 combined grain and oilseeds crop forecast"). The German-based Crop Trust, which is the only international organisation whose sole purpose is to safeguard crop diversity, has made [funds available to Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-russian-gold-removed-from-some-western-funds-after-ukraine.html "Analysis-Russian gold removed from some Western funds after Ukraine") to copy seeds, but security and logistics issues linked to the war and natural cycles mean it is difficult to speed up the process. Schmitz estimated that at best, about 10% of [Ukraine’s](https://www.financedigest.com/france-says-belarus-could-face-more-sanctions-if-it-gets-increasingly-involved-in-ukraine-conflict.html) seeds could be backed up within a [year because they need](https://www.financedigest.com/big-banks-want-survive-past-next-10-years-need-adapt.html "If the big banks want to survive past the next 10 years, they need to adapt") to be planted, grown and harvested at the right time before the duplicates can be extracted and sent to Svalbard. An emergency measure would be to forgo duplication and just ship the collection to Svalbard, but Schmitz said this might not be feasible in wartime. The Syrian seeds were from the Fertile Crescent, the region where settled farming is believed to have emerged, and Ukraine also has a central place in agriculture. Agriculture in Ukraine has roots [back in prehistoric times,”](https://www.financedigest.com/its-time-for-a-branding-re-set-getting-back-to-basics.html "It’s Time for a Branding re-set – Getting Back to Basics") Grethe Helene Evjen, a senior adviser at the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, said, adding many of the country’s seeds were unique. Evjen said the ministry is [ready to help Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/g7-offers-9-5-billion-new-aid-for-ukraine-ready-with-more.html "G7 offers .5 billion new aid for Ukraine, ready with more") duplicate and store all its seeds at Svalbard, but has yet to receive a request from Ukrainian authorities. (Reporting by Maytaal Angel in London. Additional reporting by Victoria Klesty in Oslo. Editing by Veronica Brown and Barbara Lewis) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---