The Millennium Seed Bank started life as a modest chest freezer housed in an English chapel. It’s now a multi-layered vault housing over 2.5 billion wild seeds, with partnerships all over the world. A living insurance policy for our world’s plants.

In this first episode of Unearthed: The need for seeds, Wakehurst ambassador Cate Blanchett dives into the rich history of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank with Kew’s Senior Research Leader in Seed Conservation, Dr Elinor Breman and founding father Roger Smith.

She also discovers the extraordinary variety of seeds stored and why — including relatives of staple crops like carrots and potatoes — to safeguard global food systems, explained by Dr Chris Cockel, UK Conservation Projects Coordinator at the Millennium Seed Bank.

And we hear from Dan Duval, Senior Seed Collections Officer from the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, who shares testimony for the vital role banked seeds already play in regenerating habitats.

You can support the vital work of the Millennium Seed Bank by donating here: www.kew.org/seeds

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Unearthed - The need for seeds is a Fresh Air production for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.  

Series Producer: Hannah Fisher, Executive Producer: Annie Day, Director of Content: Michaela Hallam. Sound Design by Dan King.

With special thanks to everyone at Wakehurst and the Millennium Seed bank who helped with the production behind the scenes.