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The Russian botanist, geneticist, and 1943), is unfortunately little known.In 1919, he began expeditions todozens of countries on five continentsto systematically collect the varietiesof all the plant species that he could.Vavilov was obsessed with biodiversityand dreamed of solving the problemof hunger. After years of conflict withthe Stalinist regime, he died in a laborprison camp in Siberia. Sadly, a manwho spent his life promoting nutritionand food ultimately died from the lackof it. Redeemed by history, Vavilovis acclaimed as a Noah of plants, thepioneer of the creation of gene banksfor the preservation and improvementof cultivated crop species.Today, there are thousands of Vavilovs around theworld, collecting seeds and trying to study, catalog,and protect them to ensure ample access to plantdiversity for crop variety development. Many are the keepers of this genetic heritage, recognizedas the main foundation of agriculture. A standingsymbol of the attention and the care of humanitywith these vital resources lies in the Arctic Circle,CULTURES Vol 2, Issue 1 » Page 17