Check out the "Saving Seeds" episode of American Public Media's The Story:
Right now, all over the world, projects are underway to store seeds. Biodiversity has plummeted in the last 50 years, and scientists fear the effects of climate change. They worry we will lose varieties of apples, yams and many other fruits and vegetables. Cary Fowler is in charge of a global seed bank carved into a mountain in the Arctic.Alejandro Argumedo is collecting the over 1500 varieties of potatoes in his native Peru to store in that seed vault.