Global Crop Diversity Trust: the Search for 'Climate-Proof' Food

Global Crop Diversity Trust works to preserve climate change resillient seeds photo

Crop Diversity Vital to Climate Change Fight
Earlier today Jasmin brought us a post on that epic battle - Monsanto vs. Michael Pollan on feeding the world, and the idea that climate change could disrupt our food supplies is a pretty regular theme here on TreeHugger. So it’s great to see more and more attention being directed to the Global Crop Diversity Trust, the folks who brought us the Doomsday Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway. The organization’s latest venture, a global hunt of the world’s seedbanks for ‘climate proof’ crop varieties, has drawn the attention of the BBC, and not without reason. As Cary Fowler, the trust’s executive director, explains to the BBC, the future of the human race could very well depend on the results:

“ "Our crops must produce more food, on the same amount of land, with less water, and more expensive energy," explained the trust's executive director, Cary Fowler. "There is no possible scenario in which we can continue to grow food we require without crop diversity."

Crucially, all the data that is to be gathered in this search will be open access – available to private entities and public organizations alike. Fowler also avoids the GMO debate, arguing that neither pro- nor anti-GMO campaigners have a crystal ball, so the best hope for the future is to preserve all possible varieties.

::Global Crop Diversity Trust::via the BBC::

More on the Global Crop Diversity Trust
Chilling Down Svalbard’s Seed Saver
Norway to Build Doomsday Seed Vault
African Seed Bank Deposits Arrive in Norway