Summary of As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo

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In the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo," researcher Rosa Lilian Barbieri discusses the Brazilian seeds stored in the Global Seed Vault, also known as the Doomsday Vault or the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located in Longyearbyen, Norway. The vault is a crucial repository for seeds essential for food and agriculture for various countries, including Brazil, and is maintained under extreme conditions to ensure their viability for centuries. The video also touches upon the challenges of preserving seeds in the frozen region, the importance of seed banks, and the role of Embrapa in preserving genetic resources for food and agriculture in Brazil. Additionally, the video discusses the significance of Syrian seeds and the importance of preserving traditional and indigenous seed varieties.

• 00:00:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo," Rosa Lilian Barbieri, a researcher from Embrapa Clima Temperado in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, presents the Brazilian seed in the Global Seed Vault, also known as the Doomsday Vault or the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The vault, located in the Arctic Circle near the North Pole, is a fortified storage facility that preserves seeds from around the world for future use. It is named after Osvaldo Martin, and is also known as the Bank of Mankind, the Ark of Seeds, or the End of the World Seed Vault. The vault is a crucial repository for seeds essential for food and agriculture for various countries, maintained under conditions that allow them to remain viable for centuries. The video goes on to discuss how Brazilian and other seeds ended up in the vault.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo", the speaker discusses the remote city of Longyearbyen, located in the Arctic Circle in the Svalbard archipelago. Longyearbyen is the northernmost inhabited city on Earth, with no city or habitation further north. The airport, university, and church are among its notable features, and the city is located near the North Pole, approximately 1310 km away. The speaker shares an image of the arrival at the archipelago, showcasing the lack of trees and the frozen ocean. The population of the archipelago is small, with only 1939 people residing there. The area is home to a significant number of polar bears, which can be dangerous and violent. Visitors are advised to stay in the city and be accompanied by someone with a rifle. The speaker notes that there are around 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears in the Arctic, with a significant portion living near Longyearbyen. The city is situated next to a fjord, and its energy is produced in thermal power plants using coal from local mines. The speaker mentions that these mines are being phased out, and the city is transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar power. Longyearbyen experiences three months of complete darkness in the winter and three months of continuous daylight in the summer. The city has no cemetery, and residents who face health issues are relocated to the mainland. The speaker also mentions an incident where a polar bear attacked and killed a man at a nearby campground. The city's bank of seeds, which is near the airport, is the focus of the video.
• 00:10:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo," the speaker discusses the challenges of burying a cemetery for Lia, a Brazilian woman, in the frozen region of the world due to the permanently frozen soil and the thawing of the permafrost in the summer. The speaker then shares an intriguing comparison, bringing up the aurora boreal and the extreme conditions required to protect the Seed Vault, located in a remote and inhospitable region 130 meters above sea level. The vault, which was inaugurated in February 2008, is a fortified structure with multiple layers of rock and advanced security systems to protect the world's seeds from potential threats. The speaker also mentions recent improvements made to the vault, including the suspension of the tunnel and the upgrading of monitoring and surveillance systems, to prevent water from entering and causing issues. The Seed Vault, a true treasure of humanity, holds seeds from all over the world and is a vital insurance policy against potential crop failures and food shortages.
• 00:15:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo," the speaker describes the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, which stores over a million and a half seed samples in specialized rooms. To enter, individuals must wear protective clothing as the temperature outside is colder than a domestic freezer, around 25 degrees below zero. The vault features heavy insulated suits, masks, and safety protocols to ensure the safety of visitors. The soil inside the mountain is permanently frozen, with temperatures stable at three to four degrees below zero. However, an additional cooling process is used to reach the ideal temperature of 18 degrees below zero for long-term seed conservation. The vault's costs are covered by the Norwegian government, the Nordic Council of Agricultural Research, and the Crop Trust, an international non-governmental organization. The seed vault plays a significant role in international policies, including the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the United Nations' sustainable development goals. The International Advisory Panel, consisting of representatives from various continents, monitors the vault's operations to ensure compliance with its commitments.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo" (Brazilian Seeds in the Safe of the End of the World), the speaker explains the role of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) in preserving genetic resources for food and agriculture. Embrapa maintains 164 different germplasm banks across five regions of Brazil, housing a vast variety of plant species. These resources include different types and colors of bananas, abacaxi, and Passiflora (Maracuja), among others. The banks are located throughout the country, with each region preserving the unique variations of species important for agriculture in that area. The germplasm banks in Brazil are kept at a temperature of 18 degrees below zero, and there is a backup copy of these seeds in Brasília at the Embrapa Genetic Bank. The construction cost of the bank was $9 Million, and it currently holds the largest collection of seeds in the world, with over 1.7 million seed samples.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo" (Brazilian seeds in the end-of-the-world vault), the speaker discusses the number of seeds deposited in the Sustainable Seed Bank (SBSV) by Embrapa since 2012. There are approximately 500 seed varieties, and the total number of institutions worldwide that have deposited seeds there is 87. The seeds remain the property of the depositor, and no one can access or modify them without Embrapa's permission. The seeds are stored in a "Black Box" system, which is sealed and can only be opened by Embrapa in case of a future catastrophe. Seeds must be available in the country of origin for research, improvement, and human resource development. Private seed improvement companies cannot deposit seeds unless they make them available in their own country first. The depositor is responsible for monitoring the germination of seeds before sending them to the SBSV. The deposits are free, and the institution sending the seeds is responsible for the cost of the container and shipping. The only known case of seed retrieval occurred in 2016 when the laboratories in Syria were bombed, and the seeds were saved and taken to Lebanon and Morocco by researchers from the same institute. The speaker then shares the story of Ricarda from Syria, who deposited over 116,000 seed samples during the period of 2008-2014, anticipating the potential for conflict in her country. In 2016, when the laboratories were destroyed, and the researchers were removed to Lebanon and Morocco, they requested and received the baobab seed samples, which they multiplied and returned some for research while keeping a portion for their own use. The speaker concludes by showing a photo of the Marrocan researcher proudly displaying the Brazilian seeds and the Brazilian flag.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo" (Brazilian Seeds in the Freezer at the End of the World), the speaker discusses the largest deposit ever made in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in February 2020. The vault, which is opened only three times a year, held a public ceremony for the deposit, attended by representatives from various institutions around the world, including the President of Ghana and the Norwegian Prime Minister. A total of 60,000 different samples were deposited, with each institution represented having access only to the International Consultative Committee. The Cherokee Nation, an indigenous organization from the United States, also made a deposit of their seeds in the Arctic. The deposit process was secure, with strict security measures in place, including passport checks and limited access to only two employees. The temperature inside the vault was a chilly 25 degrees below zero, and the ceremony was an emotional experience for all involved. The vault, which has been named one of the 50 most influential projects of the last century, now houses a wide variety of seeds from around the world, ensuring food supply diversity for future generations. The speaker concludes by showing photographs of the seed deposit and the types of seeds deposited by Brazil, including traditional and crioulo varieties of corn, beans, and other crops.
• 00:35:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo," the speaker discusses the importance of preserving Brazilian seeds, which have been collected by Embrapa, a Brazilian agricultural research organization, for the past five decades. These seeds, which include traditional and heirloom varieties, have been collected from farmers and markets, and are now stored in germplasm banks. The curators of these seeds ensure their proper care and documentation. The seeds are sent to a team in Brasília for processing and labeling before being sent to the seed bank. The speaker also touches upon the possibility of a global catastrophe and the importance of having access to seeds for agricultural reconstruction. The video suggests that in such a scenario, seed banks could be crucial for the survival and recovery of global agriculture.
• 00:40:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo," the discussion revolves around the importance of Syrian seeds, which were preserved with the help of neighboring countries during a time of conflict. The speakers also touch upon the topic of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, where seeds are stored in low-temperature and low-humidity conditions to ensure their viability for centuries. The experiment to test the longevity of these seeds has been ongoing for over 100 years, with Brazil participating in the endeavor. The speakers also mention the collection and conservation of traditional crop varieties, including those from indigenous communities, but they do not provide specific names.
• 00:45:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo," indigenous communities in Brazil are discussed. Twenty years ago, they had lost their native corn seeds but were able to discover that some had been stored at Embrapa, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. Embrapa has since worked with these communities to rescue ancient seed varieties, and there are now seed fairs among indigenous groups across the country. The indigenous group had to contact Embrapa and verify if any of the researchers worked with indigenous genetic resources. Terezinha Dias from Embrapa in Brasília speaks about the importance of valuing indigenous seeds. The bank of corn and sorghum seeds at Embrapa has repatriated various indigenous seed varieties to groups in Mato Grosso, among other states. However, the bank has few employees and strict security measures, with researchers only spending a maximum of 15 days a year on site. Those who live near the seed bank in Longar in Norway are mainly children who spend part of the year outside to get sunlight for vitamin D. Alexandre Vieira and Elaine Góes Souza have commented on the excellent work being done by Embrapa and its international partners. There is also interest in sending fruit seeds, but only those that can be stored in low temperatures can be sent, such as maracujá and semente de erva-mate. Embrapa is preparing a seed shipment for the next year and it is likely that maracujá and herb-mate seeds will be included.
• 00:50:00 In this section of the YouTube video "As sementes do Brasil no cofre do fim do mundo," the speakers discuss the importance of having a seed bank in Brazil for preserving valuable seeds, specifically those of erva-mate. They explain that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) only accepts seeds that have already been organized and stored in a seed bank in the country. Unfortunately, there isn't an organized seed bank for erva-mate in Brazil, which is a shame because these seeds are essential for ensuring the future of chimarrão. The speakers suggest searching for "svalbard seed.se" on Google to access the site and learn more about seed banks. They also mention that there were many news articles and TV reports on this topic last year, which can be found on YouTube for more detailed information. The speakers express their gratitude for the opportunity to discuss this topic and encourage those interested to learn more.