On the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic Circle, 120 metres deep into the permafrost and rock, an underground vault safeguards 1.25 million seed samples of more than 6,000 plant species — “with room for millions more.”

In a May 9 ceremony at the U.S. State Department, the World Food Prize Foundation honoured two scientists who were instrumental in creating the Svalbard Global Seed Vault for their work on crop conservation and biodiversity. As the 2024 laureates, Geoffrey Hawtin of Canada and the United Kingdom and Cary Fowler of the United States will share the $500,000 award.