Oslo: The first deposit of agricultural seeds from Serbia in the Global Seed Vault

26. Oct 2021.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Oslo, Dragan Petrović, on behalf of Serbia, deposited for the first time the seeds of agricultural plants in the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard.

On that occasion, the Ambassador was handed a certificate of deposit on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Sandra Borch.

The depositing of ninety-six of our most important domestic varieties of wheat, barley, oats and rye, selected by the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, will contribute to global efforts to ensure food security for future generations.

The hosts of the ceremony, organized by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Nordic Genetic Resources Center (Nordgen), which jointly manage the vault, expressed satisfaction that Serbia has deposited its agricultural seeds.

The first storage of seeds from Serbia on Svalbard was realized through an international project led by the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops from Novi Sad, and financed by the Benefit-sharing Fund and the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture – FAO.

Over a million seed samples from almost all countries of the world are stored in this unique database.