The danger became more apparent recently when a research facility near Ukraine's national seed bank in Kharkiv was damaged during intense bombing by Russian forces. The Crop Trust organization, established by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, reported the incident but did not provide further information for security reasons. This event highlighted the vulnerability of Ukraine's seed bank, which is the tenth largest in the world, as only 4% of its seeds have been backed up. "Seed banks serve as a form of insurance for humanity, providing the necessary resources for developing new plant varieties that can resist various challenges such as drought, pests, diseases, and extreme temperatures," said Stefan Schmitz, executive director of Crop Trust, in a statement to Reuters. The potential destruction of Ukraine's seed bank would be a significant loss. Unfortunately, the director of the seed bank could not be contacted, Ukraine's academy of science declined to comment, and Russia's defence ministry did not respond to inquiries about the damage. Researchers depend on the genetic diversity stored in seed banks to cultivate plants that are resilient to climate change and diseases." The increasing importance of seed banks in ensuring food production for a growing global population, especially in the face of extreme weather conditions, has been highlighted by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, major grain exporters. The war has led to food price inflation and concerns about scarcity, prompting protests in developing countries that rely on Ukraine's grain. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, the world's largest seed backup facility, played a crucial role in providing replacement seeds to researchers in Lebanon after a seed bank in Syria was destroyed during the conflict. The vault, located in an Arctic mountainside, holds over a million seed samples as a safeguard against potential disasters. These include 4% of Ukraine's 150,000 seeds, which represent more than 1,800 crops. The Crop Trust, based in Germany and the only international organization dedicated to safeguarding crop diversity, has provided funds to Ukraine for seed duplication. However, challenges related to security, logistics, and natural cycles, as well as the ongoing war, make it difficult to expedite the process. Schmitz estimated that only about 10% of Ukraine's seeds could be duplicated within a year, as they must be planted, grown, and harvested before duplicates can be extracted and sent to Svalbard. In emergency situations, sending the seed collection to Svalbard without duplication could be considered, but Schmitz noted that this may not be feasible during wartime. The Syrian seeds originated from the Fertile Crescent, known as the region where settled farming began, and Ukraine holds a significant role in agriculture as well. Grethe Helene Evjen, a senior adviser at the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, stated that agriculture in Ukraine dates back to prehistoric times and noted that many of the country's seeds are distinct. She mentioned that the ministry is prepared to assist Ukraine in replicating and preserving all of its seeds at Svalbard, but as of now, they have not been approached by Ukrainian officials for assistance.