Comments on: What happens if we run out of seeds?

By: Kay Campbell

Kay Campbell — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:35:00 +0000

You know: The safest way to save seeds, which are, after all, living entities, is to USE them in organic environments unthreatened by genetically modified Frankenseeds. Barbara Kingsolver, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” mentions how this is one treasure that we really do save by using. We can also grow, use and shop for a variety of heritage fruits and veggies. The locker is a good idea; making our world safe for growing plants is an even better one.

By: frank

frank — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:16:00 +0000

i read somewhere that there are plans to also keep a backup on the moon

By: Stacy

Stacy — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:11:00 +0000

I’m with AE. If no ONE person knows all the codes, what happens in a global disaster when even ONE of the chain of people necessary to get in gets wiped out and then we can’t break the code. Then the seeds are safe, and we’re all out of luck.

I hope there’s more to the safeguard than this, so that there really is a failsafe to get us at those seeds if necessary. Also, have they considered stockpiling SOIL to plan the seeds in? I mean, they have to grow somewhere!

Just a thought.

By: AE

AE — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:36:00 +0000

Okay, so maybe the seeds are safe, but if the vault is so well protected that no one person knows the codes to get in, in the event of some global disaster in which the survivors need the seeds, how do we know the right people will still be around to give the codes?

By: CaptainCap

CaptainCap — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:18:00 +0000

If ever Monsanto gets involved in this, we’re doomed.

By: JaneM

JaneM — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:18:00 +0000

This is great. We have lost too much already. Perhaps we could do something similar with the DNA of endangered species?

By: BassMan

BassMan — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:32:00 +0000

This is very cool! (Pun unavoidable.)
A further danger is the lack of variety of food crops. Tere are also heritage seed banks that preserve varieties of fruits and vegetables that can’t be found in commercial farming. In some cases they don’t travel well or whatever, so they are not very viable commerically. However, it is often the case that these fruits and vegs have it all over your grocery store kind when it comes to flavor and nutrition.
I hope plenty of these are in Spitzbergen.