Name: Why we're storing billions of seeds
Uploaded: 2009-05-28T01:00:00Z
Duration: 6 min 21 s
Description: In this brief talk from TED U 2009, Jonathan Drori encourages us to save biodiversity -- one seed at a time. Reminding us that plants support human life, he shares the vision of the Millennium Seed Bank, which has stored over 3 billion seeds to date from dwindling yet essential plant species.

In this brief talk from TED U 2009, Jonathan Drori encourages us to save biodiversity -- one seed at a time. Reminding us that plants support human life, he shares the vision of the Millennium Seed Bank, which has stored over 3 billion seeds to date from dwindling yet essential plant species.

Why we're storing billions of seeds

Human survival is deeply tied to plants, which provide everything from food to medicines and even the paper in books. As climate change and human expansion threaten plant diversity, a global seed bank has quietly amassed over three billion seeds, safeguarding ten percent of all plant species. Housed in a nuclear-proof facility and supported by 120 partner institutions, this massive collection preserves genetic information for future generations. These seeds already aid in restoring damaged habitats and protecting species teetering on the brink of extinction.