MARCH 2018 GERMINATION.CA 59 The warning comes in a bold new paper from the lead- ing food and farming knowl- edge house, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, published ahead of the agenda-setting Oxford Farming Conference 2018. Currently, Britain is fall- ing significantly behind major competitor countries in the rate of growth in productivity — with pace-setters like the U.S. and the Netherlands growing productivity three times faster than Britain domestically. A yawning productivity gap — worth over £4.3 billion in lost GDP between 2000 and 2013 alone — has opened up, as a result of the country failing to keep pace. The report — Driving Productivity Growth Together — calls for industry to seize the opportunity of the govern- ment’s new industrial strategy and forge a new partnership to seed storage and was established by the Norwegian government in February 2008. Repurposing an abandoned coal mine, the global seed vault is set deep into the natural permafrost of the Norwegian island of Svalbard. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is the top contributor to the vault, with over 150,000 unique collections containing a total of nearly 50 million seeds and representing roughly 85 percent of the entire CIMMYT germplasm bank collection. The target is to have 90 per cent of the CIMMYT entire col- lection backed up at Svalbard within two years, according to Thomas Payne, head of CIMMYT’s Wheat Germplasm Bank, which is located in Mexico. CIMMYT’s Maize Germplasm Bank, led by Denise Costich, has already reached that goal. —Laura Strugnell/CIMMYT Nexeed Inc – Equipment solutions for Canadian grain & seed processors. Your Local Cimbria Dealer. Equipment sales, color sorters, spare parts, training, or plant design contact Nexeed to learn more. 204 982 3531 NEXEED.CA drive what AHDB calls ‘a dra- matic acceleration’ in productiv- ity growth. NORWAY THE “DOOMSDAY VAULT” that safeguards fall-back collections of key food crop seeds in the arctic cold of Longyearbyen, Norway, marks its 10th anni- versary this year. Norway is contributing $13 million to upgrade the vault after 10 years of operations. The measures are meant to enhance the long-term viability of the seed vault. To celebrate 10 years in operation, leaders in the conservation of crop genetic resources gathered to discuss best practices and to encourage sustainable use of the resources. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault sits 1,300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle; the far- thest north commercial flights will take you. It is described as the world’s largest secure The “Doomsday Vault” that safeguards fall- back collections of key food crop seeds in the Arctic cold of Longyearbyen, Norway, marks its 10th anniversary this year.