NAIROBI, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Several African countries have deposited indigenous seeds in a Norway-based seed bank to buffer food systems against future risks, including climate change and conflicts.
Sudan and Malawi are among the African countries that have made deposits to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the world's largest backup facility for crop diversity, to secure crop biodiversity for future generations, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Crop Trust, an international organization for crop diversity conservation.
According to the statement, the seed samples deposited by Sudan include essential varieties of sorghum and pearl millet, which were nearly destroyed during the ongoing civil strife. Meanwhile, Malawi deposited velvet beans, which support both sustainable agriculture and traditional medicine.
Other African countries on the February 2025 list of depositors to the global seed bank include Benin, Burundi, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cote d'Ivoire, and Kenya.
They deposited diverse seed samples, including maize, rice, groundnuts, soybeans, and vegetables, to preserve crop diversity and achieve food and nutrition security amid climatic stresses.
Ali Babikar, director of Sudan's Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Research Center, noted that seed deposits will help the country transition to a resilient and food-secure future.
"In Sudan, where conflict has displaced more than 8 million people and disrupted agriculture, these seeds represent hope," Babikar said.
Nolipher Mponya, an agricultural research scientist with the Malawian government, stressed that preserving crop diversity will reduce the risk of food crises at local, regional, and global levels.
