President Medvedev May Protect Pavlovsk Seed Bank

One little tweet may mean big things for a global seed vault. Last week, Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev sent out a Twitter message that gave sustainable foodies everywhere cause for hope. KremlinRussia_E tweeted "Received the Civic Chamber's appeal over the Pavlov Experimental Station. Gave the instruction for this issue to be scrutinized."

If this Russian message reads as Greek to you, here's some quick background: The Pavlovsk Experiment Station is a collection of tens of thousands of varieties of rare plants maintained by the N.I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry. The collection's been cultivated and expanded since 1926, and 90 percent of its holding aren't found anywhere else in the world. The seed bank serves an invaluable role in ensuring food security. Scientists use these rare varieties to cross-breed and create new varieties, like drought- or heat-resistant crops. Maintaining this massive collection will be especially important as climate change alters the world's agricultural landscape.

Despite Pavlovsk's importance in the horticultural and food community, a Russian court ruled earlier this month that real estate developers could take over the seed bank in order to build luxury homes. The Vavilov Institute instantly appealed the decision, buying Pavlovsk another month before bulldozers roll in. The only two people who can really issue an order to save Pavlovsk are President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin — and that's where the tweet comes in.

The Global Crop Diversity Trust is one organization that's worked tirelessly to galvanize folks around protecting Pavlovsk Experiment Station. The non-profit's petition on Change.org garnered more than 7,500 sigantures so far, while thousands of other people took to their Twitter and Facebook accounts to raise awareness about the issue. The online community's caused such a clamor that it reached the ears of the Russian Civic Chamber, a group that monitors Parliament and Russian government. The Civic Chamber sent a telegram to Medvedev asking him to issue a protective appeal that would save Pavlovsk from being plowed down by McMansion builders.

Medvedev's tweet merely said he would look into the issue, so it's unclear whether or not he will take measures to protect this invaluable seed vault. But one thing is clear: Medvedev is listening, and he's going to have a hard time putting real estate developers' interests above the future of global food security.

Make your voice heard and help conserve tens of thousands of rare, living plants. Sign this petition asking President Medvedev to issue a protective order for Pavlovsk Experiment Station.

Photo credit: sahua via Flickr