Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership - our projects in China and Central Asia

Our China programme is helping to save plant life under threat of extinction

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership (MSBP) China programme is helping China establish its largest wild plant conservation facility, the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species (GBOWS). The GBOWS is managed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences with the aim of conserving China’s biodiversity and plant resources for sustainable use. Kew's MSBP is providing technical support in the construction of the new building, and is sharing knowledge and experience in seed conservation activities.

A 10-year agreement was signed between the MSBP and the GBOWS in May 2004. Under this agreement, 4,000 threatened and endemic plant species from China will be targeted and safeguarded in the SCWSB by 2010, half of which will be exchanged or duplicated in Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place.

This collaboration also provides an excellent opportunity for UK and Chinese botanists to work together to collect and conserve China’s plant diversity through a range of scientific activities such as staff exchange, PhD co-supervision, conservation skills training and information sharing.

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership China programme will make a major contribution to the Millennium Seed Bank partnership, which aims to collect and conserve 10% of the world’s flora by 2010.

Teams from Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership are sharing their expertise in seed collecting and banking activities with their partner, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This will help enhance and strengthen China’s capacity to conserve wild plant species. Plants from threatened and endemic species will be identified and targeted for collection.

Kew’s MSBP is helping our Chinese partners to develop facilities and enhance the scientific research capabilities in the ex-situ conservation of indigenous and endangered plant species. The MSBP's seed conservation network spread to east Asia with the development of the partnership with China in 2004. A ten-year Access and Benefit Sharing Agreement has been signed between RBG Kew and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership in China

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership is making a difference in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is home to 2% of the flora of the world and is well known throughout Central Asia for the variety of valuable medicinal herbs that are found there (around 200 species). 

About 1600 species are useful including fodder (450 species), honey production (300 species) and food (50 species). These known uses place species at risk of over-collection, in particular those with great ornamental value such as the beautiful wild tulip (Tulipa greigii).

Other pressures on the flora include a shift from nomadic cattle rearing to intensive agriculture, and other land use changes such as mining, construction, road-building and deforestation. Many species are particularly sensitive because they occupy very narrow habitat types and are sometimes endemic to very small areas.

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership in Kyrgyzstan