A vault storing precious seeds now has over one million different varieties. The Global Seed Vault is buried in an icy mountain in the Arctic Circle. It opened ten years ago to protect the world's food supply. Climate change and droughts are threatening many species of plants. The vault holds back-ups of seeds from the world's other seed banks. A scientist at the Crop Trust said: "Hitting the million mark is really significant."
Vault workers are surprised to reach the million mark. The crisis in Syria meant there were 90,000 fewer seeds at the vault. The latest delivery included cereals and more unusual crops like the onion potato. There were also seeds from drought tolerant plants. The Crop Trust said protecting the seeds means, "scientists will have the best chance of developing nutritious and climate-resilient crops that can ensure future generations don't just survive, but thrive".