Have you ever wondered why World Forest ID has collections from some countries, but not others? The answer lies in the navigation of international treaties as well as logistical challenges – factors that need to be taken into consideration long before World Forest ID’s local partners and collectors even step foot into the field to collect a sample. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG, Kew) has partnered with World Forest ID since 2020. As the Collections Manager for these projects at RBG, Kew, I wanted to share some of the key considerations and logistics that guide the collection process:

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

The objectives of the CBD are to conserve biological resources, ensure their responsible use and to make sure that any benefits arising from the use of genetic resources are fairly and equitably shared with the donating country of origin. In some countries, access to land and genetic resources may be restricted or have limits or conditions on collecting. Where we can collect, prior informed consent is always obtained. Where possible we also follow best practice and collect a duplicate set of samples that stay in the country of origin, usually with one of the national scientific institutions, to enhance their collections which can be used for local priority research.

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)

Since 1975, CITES has worked to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of international trade. With over 34,000 endangered plant species listed, we carefully check our planned collections to ensure compliance. These lists are regularly updated, so we always keep up-to-date with any new additions. When CITES permits are required for sample specimen export, we work with regulatory agencies like the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in the UK to obtain the necessary permits or waivers to ensure sample export and import runs smoothly.

Biosecurity

Transporting biological material between different regions and countries can carry a risk of introducing non-native pests and pathogens into new ecosystems. These might become invasive and could have devastating consequences. 

World Forest ID collectors are trained to minimise the risk of organisms being transferred between different collection sites, by cleaning footwear and tools between sites and not collecting samples that have obvious signs of disease. Samples are also quarantined and / or decontaminated before being stored, for example by deep freezing and autoclaving. 

Transportation of our samples may require Plant Health or Biosecurity permits, certificates, and licenses. Here at RBG, Kew we also have a dedicated and registered quarantine facility to receive samples that are imported under license. 

Transport of samples without the appropriate documents could lead to samples being confiscated or worse… incineration! We have all seen those scary TV episodes of Border Force!

Conflict

The safety of collectors is paramount. In active conflict zones, whether it be due to war or political instability, we simply cannot collect. The risk of conflict or hostility can also be more localised where people feel their livelihoods are threatened by collection and research work, and we work closely with our local teams to avoid these areas.

Every country has the right to implement treaties and regulations in a different way. We must be guided by their rules, and sometimes this means there may be a delay before a collection is made while clarifications are sought. Occasionally implementation of laws is still being developed, and a collection may not be possible. In these instances, we will try to collect samples from as near as possible to the original intended site and use our AI models to extrapolate and interpolate to fill the gaps where ground-verified data is impossible to collect.

Despite all these challenges, thanks to the dedication of the World Forest ID collectors and coordinators, as well as the generosity of donors, we have collected and shipped 55,213 samples from 58 countries. This has contributed to the growing Global Georeferenced Sample Collection (GSC) of timber and forest risk commodity samples and their associated data.  Each sample is vital in World Forest ID’s mission to help make commodities traceable and complex supply chains transparent. The samples, and their clear chain of custody and legal collection, help power the science needed to tackle export-driven deforestation.