Text by MOOK Travel & Lifestyle Network, reported and compiled by Li Mei-she
Don’t think that Taiwan’s advanced agricultural technology and abundant produce mean there’s no risk of a food crisis. In fact, Taiwan’s food self-sufficiency rate has been declining year by year and is currently only about 32%, posing a constant threat of food shortages. The “Food Ark” special exhibition, on display from March 12 to September 22 at the National Taiwan Museum, centers around the theme “Food Knows No Borders — Where Will Our Future Food Come From?” It introduces seed preservation methods at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and Taiwan’s Genetic Resources Center, explaining their missions in collecting and preserving seeds of food crops. The exhibition showcases various types of storage facilities and materials, as well as live specimens of non-seed-propagated crops, offering a comprehensive look at the current state of crop genetic resource conservation and utilization in Taiwan.
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The National Taiwan Museum is exhibiting the “Food Ark” special exhibition from March 12 to September 22. (Photo provided by the National Taiwan Museum)
Due to climate anomalies and water resource issues, a global food crisis could occur sooner than expected. And aside from rice, Taiwan relies almost entirely on imports for all other food supplies, making the issue of food insecurity impossible to ignore. In the event of a food crisis, countries would ban food exports, making it impossible to buy food even with money. Countries around the world are currently establishing seed conservation centers or seed banks to preserve plant seeds, ensuring future food security. The main mission of Taiwan’s Crop Genetic Resources Center is also to collect and preserve Taiwan’s precious genetic resources, launching the “Operation Seed Preservation.”
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The tissue culture room in the Food Ark special exhibition. (Photo provided by the National Taiwan Museum)
The exhibition will introduce the major methods of seed preservation, including two main goals: “genetic resource preservation” and “breeding.” “Genetic resource preservation” is tasked with collecting and storing existing plant seeds for future needs, while “breeding” involves developing new varieties that meet specific requirements through genetic screening or genetic engineering. These are further divided into “in-situ preservation” and “ex-situ preservation.” “In-situ preservation” means storing seeds in their original farming environments, preserving genetic resources in their natural growth and survival conditions. Meanwhile, crop genetic resource banks serve as “ex-situ preservation,” gathering genetic resources from various locations into a centralized facility. Both approaches complement each other and are essential methods of seed preservation. For more details, visit the official website: www.ntm.gov.tw.
● Read more: Embrace the Sea of White Blossoms — The Calla Lily Exhibition at Zhuzihu
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