Wars destroy lives, communities, cultural artifacts, historical heritage and biodiversity. For the second time in less than a century, individuals committed to preserving cultivated biodiversity have displayed heroic courage to save a seed bank from the ravages of war. The International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Aleppo, Syria, is one of 11 international genebanks charged with conserving the world’s most vital crops and their wild relatives. Through thoughtful advanced planning and sheer bravery, its staff has successfully managed over the past four years to create backups of its seed collection, disseminating the samples in various safe havens around the world, including in Turkey, Norway, Morocco and Mexico. A fascinating account.