Ana Sandoval, a dedicated researcher at Initihuasi Seed Bank, nurturing the future with a pot of shooting seeds — preserving biodiversity one sprout at a time. Photo Credit: John Bartlett
Environment ChileSeed Bank Safeguards Biodiversity for a Changing Climate
In Chile, a remote seed bank in the Atacama Desert is preserving thousands of plant species, thereby protecting vital genetic diversity that supports ecosystems and agriculture in a changing climate.
“What we have here is a backup of all of the important genetic material from around the country, a ‘Noah’s Ark’ for Chilean agriculture,” said Carlos Furche, director of the national network of seed banks.
Chile is home to 4,655 plant species, 46% of which occur nowhere else. Seeds are stored in earthquake-resistant facilities at low temperatures and low humidity, with duplicates shared through global seed networks to ensure long-term conservation and future adaptation as environmental conditions shift.
