The first olive seeds have arrived at the Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, often called the "Noah's Ark for plants" or the "doomsday vault." The Spanish Olive Germplasm Bank in Córdoba has deposited 50 different varieties of this plant to safeguard them against global disasters or loss of biodiversity. The storage facility is located underground in frozen ground, which is intended to protect the seeds for centuries. Spain is the world's leading producer of olive oil.
First olive seeds in the vault
The Global Seed Vault on Svalbard, operational since 2008, has for the first time in its history accepted seeds of the European olive. Until now, it has primarily stored seeds of crops fundamental to feeding humanity.
50 varieties from Spain
The seeds come from the Spanish Olive Germplasm Bank in Córdoba and represent 50 different varieties from across the country, including iconic ones like 'Picual' and 'Hojiblanca'. The collection also includes varieties of historical significance, such as 'Lechín de Sevilla'.
Protection against disaster
The main goal of the vault is to create a backup of the world's crop diversity. Seeds are stored in special aluminum containers at -18°C in stable geological conditions to survive even a global cataclysm.
The Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, an underground repository designed to protect the world's crop diversity from disasters, has accepted the first olive seeds in its history. They were sent from the Spanish Olive Germplasm Bank (BGMO) in Córdoba, which is part of the Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA). The vault received 50 varieties of the European olive (Olea europaea). The collection includes varieties of key importance to the Spanish olive sector, such as the dominant 'Picual' as well as 'Hojiblanca', 'Arbequina', and 'Cornicabra'. Among the deposited seeds were also varieties of historical and local significance, like 'Lechín de Sevilla' and 'Verdial de Huévar'. Sources indicate that the qualification and preparation process for depositing the seeds in the vault took over five years, highlighting the complexity and importance of the undertaking. 50 — olive varieties secured on Svalbard The Global Seed Vault on Svalbard, often called the "doomsday vault" or "Noah's Ark for seeds," was opened in 2008. Its purpose is to store backup copies of seeds from gene banks worldwide, safeguarding the biodiversity of cultivated plants against natural disasters, wars, or climate change. The facility is located in permafrost, about 130 meters inside a mountain on the island of Spitsbergen. The vault, located inside a mountain on the island of Spitsbergen, is designed to operate without human involvement. Seeds are stored in aluminum containers, hermetically sealed at a temperature of -18°C, which is meant to guarantee their viability for centuries, even millennia. The decision to include the olive in this global collection underscores its key role in the agriculture and culture of the Mediterranean region. Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil, and this sector is of fundamental economic and landscape importance for many regions of the country. Securing its genetic diversity is therefore an action of strategic significance. Deposited Olive Varieties: Main Varieties: Picual, Hojiblanca → Picual, Hojiblanca, Arbequina, Cornicabra; Local/Historical Varieties: None → Lechín de Sevilla, Verdial de Huévar; Total Number of Varieties: 0 → 50 The seed deposit was carried out as part of the standard deposit procedure, where each participating gene bank retains ownership rights to the deposited material. IFAPA authorities expressed satisfaction that Spain's olive genetic heritage has found a place in the "safest place on Earth." This event symbolically connects modern science with one of the oldest agricultural traditions of the Mediterranean basin.