The International Olive Council (IOC) has participated in the first deposit of olive seeds at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Norway), the world's largest facility dedicated to the long-term conservation of agricultural seeds.
Although the planned delegation was unable to travel in its entirety due to weather conditions, Jaime Lillo, Executive Director of the IOC, and Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the ITPGRFA (FAO), managed to reach Svalbard and held a symbolic handover ceremony on Thursday afternoon.
This is an important step forward in protecting the world's olive genetic heritage because this emblematic species of the Mediterranean basin — now cultivated on all five continents — is no stranger to major global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the emergence of new pests and diseases. Preserving the olive tree means safeguarding a thousand-year-old crop of enormous environmental value—capable of acting as a carbon sink—and
ensuring the production of the healthiest oil in the world, essential for feeding a constantly growing global population in a healthy and sustainable way.
The initiative was launched as part of the European H2020 GEN4OLIVE project and subsequently promoted by the IOC, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA).
The University of Córdoba (UCO), the University of Granada (UGR), and the Plant Genetic Resources Centre (CRF-INIA) of the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA), which belongs to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), have also collaborated on this proposal, which shows that the conservation of traditional and wild olive varieties is not only a scientific endeavour, but also a joint commitment to the resilience of agricultural systems and food security in the future.
‘The seeds we have deposited are the legacy of farmers who, throughout history, chose the most resistant trees, those that offered the best fruit, or those that adapted to different soils, climates and conditions. These seeds are a guarantee that future generations will continue to enjoy a product as extraordinary as olive oil,’ said Jaime Lillo, executive director of the COI.
For Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), this repository demonstrates what is possible when countries, research institutions and international organisations work together to safeguard the crops that sustain humanity. ‘Protecting agricultural diversity requires a long-term commitment, and continued investment in the International Treaty and its global partnerships is essential to ensure that these irreplaceable resources remain available for future generations,’ he said.
Cooperation to protect the olive tree
The process has required rigorous scientific work, including fruit collection, endocarp processing and drying, germination viability assessment and conservation under controlled conditions, following established international protocols for deposits of this type.
The seeds come from open-pollinated trees in the collection of the World Olive Germplasm Bank in Córdoba (BGMO-UCO), which houses more than 700 varieties originating from COI member countries such as Albania, Algeria, Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey—as well as seeds from wild specimens (wild olive trees) from different natural populations on the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands collected by the University of Granada.
‘Genetic diversity is what guarantees the continuity of any crop. Without genetic variability, it is not possible to develop new varieties capable of adapting to current challenges,’ says Concepción Muñoz, professor in the Department of Agronomy at the University of Córdoba. She adds that this is why it is also essential to conserve the wild relatives of the olive tree, which often ‘harbour genes that are resistant to diseases and abiotic stresses—such as drought or high temperatures—that are underrepresented in the material currently cultivated.’
The seeds were separated into three batches, one available for use in the BGMO-UCO collection and two sent to the Plant Genetic Resources Centre, responsible for long-term conservation in Spain. Here, germination tests were carried out to confirm germination viability, and the seeds were sent to Svalbard in special airtight envelopes labelled with detailed information and associated documentation. One batch of samples is stored in Spain, at the CRF, in airtight containers at -18ºC, under the same conditions as in the Svalbard Dome.
"The backups we keep allow us to check every ten years that the batch of material is still in good condition. If, over time, the seeds were to lose their viability, we could replace them,‘ explains Luis Guasch, director of the CRF. ’A total of 46,000 seed samples are stored in the CRF's security chamber, all correctly identified and traceable, which allows us to guarantee their monitoring and conservation in optimal conditions."
Finally, the material was sent by the CSIC to Svalbard, where it was scheduled for delivery on Wednesday 25th by a delegation consisting of Jaime Lillo, executive director of the COI; Juan Antonio Polo, head of Olive Oil Technology and Environment at the COI; Pablo Morello, head of the World Olive Germplasm Bank at the University of Córdoba; and Hristofor Miho, researcher and manager of the GEN4OLIVE project at the University of Córdoba.
"This first deposit of olive seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault marks a historic milestone for the global conservation of our crops. Safeguarding olive diversity provides an essential safety net for producers, researchers and the global olive oil industry in the face of growing challenges in an uncertain future. The Crop Trust congratulates the IOC on taking this decisive step in the long-term conservation of olive genetic resources," said Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Crop Trust.
For Lene Krøl Andersen, executive director of NordGen, "olives are important not only for their health benefits and as a vital source of income for producers throughout the Mediterranean basin, but also because they represent a deeply rooted cultural symbol, to the point that it is difficult to imagine life without them. However, we are also witnessing the threat that climate change, pests and diseases pose to olive crops. We are therefore particularly pleased to be able to secure olive seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault for the first time with this deposit."
Beyond its symbolic value, the project has a fundamental scientific and strategic dimension. The olive tree possesses vast genetic diversity accumulated over centuries of domestication and adaptation to different environments. However, this diversity now faces threats such as desertification, emerging pests and diseases, agricultural intensification, and the homogenization of commercial varieties. Preserving seeds in Svalbard ensures that, in the event of loss of local or regional collections, genetic material can be recovered for research and breeding programs.
The inclusion of wild olive trees is particularly significant, as these specimens may contain genes that confer resistance to drought, salinity, or disease—traits that are essential for addressing the challenges posed by climate change. In this way, the initiative not only protects agricultural heritage but also secures key genetic resources for innovation and the future resilience of the crop.
The project is supported by Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and involves scientific collaboration with institutions such as the Spanish National Research Council and the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, along with international backing from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The initiative also stems from European research projects such as GEN4OLIVE, which focus on the characterization and valorization of olive genetic resources.
With this step, the olive tree—symbol of peace, culture, and Mediterranean tradition—becomes part of the world’s largest genetic insurance policy. Its entry into the Arctic vault not only safeguards its historical legacy but also strengthens its role as a strategic crop for future food security and agricultural sustainability.
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