Uncovering a multi-million pound smuggling trade

One wintery morning in 2014, somebody stole a tiny and extremely rare waterlily from the collection at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was never seen again, and they were never caught. James Wong begins his journey into the mysterious world of plants and fungi by looking at the criminal underworld of plant trafficking. Speaking to Border Force, Kew scientists and advisors, James learns about the little-appreciated fight to protect plants from extinction, exploitation, and smugglers hiding on the web – and how many of us are guilty of ‘plant blindness’. 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.org https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/border-forceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Om Podcasten

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