What role does Kew Gardens play in the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership?

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Maymyo: botanical gardens — Botanical garden Botanical gardens in Maymyo, Myanmar.

Kew Gardens serves as the central hub for the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, an international initiative aimed at mitigating the extinction of at-risk and useful plant species through long-term seed preservation.1

The project originated from the Kew Seed Bank, which was established in 1974 at Kew’s botanical outstation at Wakehurst Place in West Sussex. In 1996, this effort expanded into the Millennium Seed Bank Project, which Kew continues to administer.1

Today, Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank is recognized as the largest wild plant seed bank in the world. By 2024, the facility held more than 2.4 billion seeds representing approximately 16 percent of the world’s wild plant species, sourced from 189 countries. Through this partnership, Kew plays a vital role in global botanical conservation by safeguarding plant biodiversity against environmental threats.1