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Millennium Seed Bank Project in Lebanon

MSB and Lebanese staff checking quality of recent seed collections at the LARI headquarters in Tal Amara, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

The collaboration with the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) was formalised in 2000, and renewed in 2005 for a second 5-year period. RBG Kew and LARI agreed to work together with the purpose of complementing existing in situ conservation in Lebanon by supporting the collection, study and ex situ conservation of Lebanese flora. This purpose is met through the following objectives:

·        The establishment of a verified and well-documented seed collection of plant species indigenous to Lebanon, and by

·        The establishment of a mutually beneficial conservation training, research and educational programme.

The Project Purpose will be addressed through the delivery of the following outputs:

1.      Establishment of a facility to maintain a secure, vouchered, long-term seed collection of Lebanese endemic, threatened and otherwise significant plant species that is available and utilised for research and possible species recovery activities; the project aims to collect around 50 species new to the MSB per year.

2.      Increased knowledge and capacity to collect and conserve seed within staff of LARI. This is aided by the production in 2005 of a Collection Guide to rare and endangered species of Lebanon by Kew’s GIS unit.

3.      Bringing about an understanding within government and the broader community of the critical role of seed collections in an integrated approach to species and community conservation and restoration.

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