Portugal has added 334 national seed samples to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, also known as the 'Doomsday Vault'. This action increases the total number of Portuguese samples stored in the international reserve, which aims to protect agricultural diversity against wars and catastrophes, to 1,861.
The fifth official Portuguese delivery included 303 common bean accessions, 18 black-eyed peas, and 13 maize samples. The ceremony was attended by the Secretary of State for Agriculture, João Moura. Since its first deposit in 2018, Portugal has been increasing its contribution to this Arctic facility, which by June 2026 already held over 1.4 million samples from around the world.
The Svalbard Vault, inaugurated in 2008 in Norway, serves as a backup for global gene bank collections. Its importance is highlighted in the context of climate change and potential crises, ensuring the preservation of essential agricultural varieties for future food security.
