The vault was built by Norway, and its operations are financed by government and private donations, including $20 million from Britain, $12 million
from Australia, $11 million from Germany and $6.5 million from the United States. The effort to preserve a wide variety of plant genes in banks is
particularly urgent because many farms now grow just one or two crops, with very high efficiency. Like purebred dogs perfectly tailored to their task,
they are particularly vulnerable to both pests and climate change.Scientists are also working to learn more about the skills encoded in the genes of each
banked seed — crucial knowledge that is often not recorded. Ultimately, plant breeders will be able to consult a global database to find seeds with genes
suitable for the particular climate challenge confronting a region — for instance, a corn with a stalk that resists storm winds or a wheat that needs less
frequent water.