About the seed vault

• • It is a secure seed bank located on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. 
  • The Seed Vault is managed by the Norwegian government, the Crop Trust, and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center.
  • It serves as a global backup facility for seeds of various plant species, safeguarding the world’s food supply against potential catastrophes such as mismanagement, accident, war, disease, and natural disasters.
  • The seeds are stored in storage rooms kept at −18 °C (−0.4 °F) as low temperature and limited access to oxygen will ensure low metabolic activity and delay seed aging. 
  • The permafrost surrounding the seed vault will help in maintaining low temperature of the seed vault  incase of power outage.

• Permafrost is soil composed of sand, gravel, organic matter, and ice that has been frozen for at least two consecutive years.

Why in News?

• The Svalbard Seed Vault has recently received a significant influx of seed samples from around the world.