Curious cures and mysterious medicines

Deep in some of the world’s most hard-to-reach places lies a wealth of plant knowledge that could offer the next life-saving cure. In this episode, James Wong explores how Kew scientists works alongside remote communities on the ground to understand plants’ medicinal properties. And there’s a history lesson in it too, as James learns of the enormous impact that humble quinine, (found in your G&T), had throughout colonialism through to the world wars.   What is yet to be discovered? And what do we stand to lose if we do not protect and respect world ecosystems? Subscribe to Unearthed: Mysteries from an unseen world on your podcast app to get a new episode each fortnight. And you can share the show or join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #KewUnearthed. Follow @kewgardens for more insights into the magical, mysterious world of plants and fungi. www.kew.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The way we produce and consume food is having a devastating impact on our natural world. How can we avoid disaster, and feed the world well? Unearthed: Journeys into the future of food, from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, explores our contemporary relationship with food: what are we eating? What is it doing to our health and the health of the planet? And how are livelihoods and agriculture changing before our eyes? Take a journey around the world: from farming practises and biodiversity loss, to finding crops that can thrive in the face of climate change, all the way to our own shopping baskets and kitchens. James Wong, Advolly Richmond and Poppy Okocha bring you insights, ideas and inspirational actions from artists, thinkers, chefs and  plant scientists who are all helping to make sure food and nature are secure and healthy for future generations. Episodes 1 and 2 of this series will be released on Thursday 6th October 2022. You can catch up on the previous series of Unearthed - Mysteries From an Unseen World - right now on this podcast channel. You can find out more about how Kew Science is helping to protect global food security by visiting kew.org. Inspired by this series? Get involved online with #KewUnearthed @kewgardens on Twitter @kewgardens on Instagram