It is located just under 20 kilometers from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, from which it is inspired by. The Global Oreo Vault is a secure vault commissioned by Mondelez International on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago. Where to put the most important backup facility on the planet? Where is it most likely to survive the devastating effects of flooding, volcanic eruptions, meteor attacks, nuclear war or hurricanes? On the small arctic island of Spitsbergen, it turns out.Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Located within the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, this formidable seed bank rises dramatically from the mountainside – looking like the icy lair of a Bond villain. Strictly closed off from the public, the vault is co-managed by the Crop Trust, the Norwegian Government and the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NordGen).īack in 2004, rising pressure from agriculturalists and scientists forced the Norwegian Government to consider the construction of a large-scale seed bank. Seed banks, or gene banks as they are also called, already existed in most countries worldwide (it is estimated that there are 1750), but no attempts to make a major, universal bank had been attempted before on this scale. Set against the backdrop of the Iraq War, where rioters had destroyed a major seed bank and in doing so, lost certain ancient varieties of lentils and chickpeas, international interest groups were keen to prevent the irreversible loss of staple food crops ever happening again. Svalbard was selected as the most effective location, due to its position above sea level, lack of tectonic activity and permafrost landscape. Following a period of construction, the bank officially opened on 26 February 2008. By today, the vault has had more than one million different samples deposited – a significant proportion of the world’s crop diversity (yet still scratching the surface of the actual biodiversity of our planet!). To this day, only two withdrawals have ever been made, following the destruction of another major gene bank during the Syrian civil war. Once the seeds had been effectively multiplied, new seeds of the same variety were placed back in the Svalbard bank, as well as new regional seed banks.Ī large withdrawal of seeds was agreed between international parties and subsequently used to be planted in fields across Lebanon and Morocco. In general, however, all seeds are accessed from regional banks long before they ever have to be removed from the Svalbard facility – designed to be a last-resort, “Noah’s Ark” of seeds.ĭark tourists, curious adventurers and “doomsday” obsessives alike have naturally expressed great interest in the vault, and there are growing calls for the site to allow visitors. However, in the interest of preserving the seeds and preventing damage from too much footfall, the site is strictly private access only. That’s not to say that hikers and tourists can’t come view it from the outside.
Svalbard is a highly protected area, with two-thirds of the island classified as nature reserves, national parks and sanctuaries.
Driving across open expanses of rugged glaciers and sweeping mountains, visitors can be sure to glimpse polar bears, reindeer, Arctic foxes and birds. It is also one of the best places to catch the world’s most spectacular natural phenomenon – the northern lights.įrom whale and polar bear safaris to dog-sledding and brewery tours, Svalbard has a surprisingly vibrant tourist scene, particularly for those looking to have a truly off-the-beaten-track adventure.
The neighbouring town of Longyearbyen (literally “Long Year Town”) is the world’s northernmost settlement! Fascinating in itself, this small town has a population of 2,368 people, most of whom work in the mining industry.
A high minority of Svalbard residents are ethnically Thai, following a large migration of workers during the 1970s. This is reflected in the presence of a Thai supermarket in town, as well as various Thai cultural events that are put on locally each year. Daily 3-hour flights connect Longyearbyen to Oslo. Though officially part of Norway, Svalbard is also home to a set of unique laws. Cats are banned from the island, a strict limit on monthly alcohol purchasing is set in place and all individuals must legally carry a rifle on their persons every time they step outside! This is to protect themselves from polar bears. Even more bizarre, it is effectively illegal to die on Svalbard. If a resident is terminally ill, they must move to the mainland. The reason for this is because the ground is made of permafrost, meaning any bodies buried underground will be perfectly preserved.