What are seed banks and why should seeds be preserved?

[Polly Lieberman]

Seed banks are specialized facilities that collect, store, and preserve seeds from a wide variety of plant species, including crops, wild plants, and rare or endangered species. Their primary goal is to conserve plant biodiversity, maintain genetic diversity, and ensure the long-term availability of plant species that might otherwise be at risk of extinction due to environmental changes, natural disasters, disease, or human activities.

Why Seed Preservation Matters
Food Security: Preserving seeds, especially for staple crops like rice, wheat, and corn, is crucial for food security. As climate change, pests, and diseases evolve, access to a diverse range of plant genetics is essential for developing resilient crop varieties that can withstand these challenges.

Biodiversity Conservation: Seed banks help protect biodiversity by preserving the genetic material of both common and rare plant species. Biodiversity is essential for ecosystem health and resilience, supporting other species, including animals and insects that rely on plants for food and habitat.

Adaptation to Climate Change: As global climates shift, plants that are resilient to drought, high temperatures, and extreme weather are becoming more important. By preserving seeds from a wide variety of plant species, seed banks provide a resource that researchers can use to breed new plant varieties suited to changing conditions.

Medical and Scientific Research: Many plants have medicinal properties, and some yet-undiscovered species may hold cures or treatments for various diseases. Seed banks help ensure that these plants, and their potential benefits, are not lost.

Cultural Preservation: Certain plants are culturally significant, especially to indigenous peoples who rely on native plants for food, medicine, and traditional practices. Seed banks protect these species, preserving cultural heritage and food sovereignty.

Ecosystem Restoration: Seed banks play an important role in ecosystem restoration efforts. When habitats are destroyed by events like fires, floods, or industrial development, seeds from these banks can be used to re-establish native plant populations, helping to restore natural ecosystems.

Types of Seed Banks
Genebanks: These focus on preserving the genetic diversity of crop species and their wild relatives.
Community Seed Banks: Often run by local communities, they maintain seeds of native plants and local crops, helping farmers access seeds adapted to their local environment.
Global Seed Vaults: The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, for example, stores backup copies of seeds from other seed banks worldwide to act as a fail-safe for humanity's agricultural biodiversity.

Seed banks thus play an invaluable role in sustaining biodiversity, supporting agriculture, and enabling a more resilient future.