A new report by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew is warning that an estimated 2 in 5 of global plant species are threatened with extinction.

Underpinned by data from 12 newly released scientific papers, RBG Kew’s fourth State of the World’s Plants and Fungi 2020 report takes a deep dive into the state of the world’s plant and fungal kingdoms globally.

The landmark report is the first time plants and fungi have been combined in one global State of the World’s assessment.

Kew’s 2016 State of the World’s Plants report estimated 1 in 5 plants were at risk but new analyses this year show that extinction risk may be much higher than previously thought, with 39.4% plants estimated to be threatened with extinction - almost double the 21% of global plant species estimated to be threatened with extinction in 2016.

The authors suggest the best course of action now is to ‘fast track’ risk assessments so key areas can be protected, and species can be conserved without delay. To achieve this, AI (artificial intelligence) could help to identify priorities for conservation assessments.

Dr Eimear Nic Lughadha, Conservation Scientist at RBG Kew and lead author of the extinction chapter, commented:

“We need to have a rough idea of the conservation status of every species – and we now have ways to achieve that with AI approaches that are up to 90% accurate. The techniques are good enough to say, ‘this area has a lot of species that haven’t been assessed but are almost certainly threatened’. And knowing that will enable us to identify the most important areas to conserve in the immediate future.”

723 plants used for medicine are at risk of extinction

The report is also warning that global demand for naturally derived medicines is threatening some species. New data in this year’s report show that of the 5,411 medicinal plants that have been assessed for their conservation status (out of 25,791 documented medicinal plants), 723 (13%) are categorised as threatened.

Worldwide, as many as 4 billion people rely on herbal medicines as their primary source of healthcare, and in China, herbal medicine accounts for about 40% of healthcare services.

South Africa is among the world’s top consumers of medicinal plants, with some 27 million people relying on traditional healthcare.

World is “overly dependent on a tiny fraction of plants and fungi for food and energy”

According to the report, we are overly dependent on a tiny fraction of plants and fungi for food and energy, despite the thousands of species out there that have the potential to feed and fuel millions around the world.

New data in this year’s report show there are 7,039 edible plants which hold potential as future foods, yet just 15 plants provide 90% of humanity’s food energy intake, and four billion people rely entirely on three crops – rice, maize and wheat. Global population is anticipated to increase from 7.8 billion to 10 billion by 2050.

Dr Stefano Padulosi, former Senior Scientist at the Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, and co-author of the food chapter described the thousands of underutilised and neglected plant species as “the lifeline to millions of people on Earth tormented by unprecedented climate change, pervasive food and nutrition insecurity, and economic disempowerment.”

2,500 plants that could provide clean energy for millions worldwide

The report also draws attention to 2,500 identified plants that could be used for fuel or bioenergy, but only six crops – maize, sugarcane, soybean, palm oil, rapeseed and wheat – generate 80% of global industrial biofuel.

With 840 million people (mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Oceania) having no access to electricity and three billion without access to non-polluting cooking fuels and technology, new bioenergy crops are urgently needed.

Until now, research has focused on a few crop species grown for industrial energy supply chains.

The scientists say that rather than helping to reduce greenhouse gases and alleviate energy poverty, some of the methods currently used to produce bioenergy are harming the environment and people.

For example, in 2019, a ban on sugarcane cultivation in the Amazon was lifted, which could amplify rates of deforestation, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and threatening species.

Foods, medicines and timber new to science in 2019

This years’ report is the first time a synthesis of new species to science has been compiled for both plants and fungi. The authors found that 1,942 plants and 1,886 fungi were named as new to science in 2019 and include species that might be valuable as foods, drinks, medicines or fibres.

Other headlines in this year’s report include:

• Need to accelerate the pace of species ID – It is a race against time to find, identify, name and conserve species before they go extinct.
• City tree-planting strategies found lacking – The city trees we plant now need to be able to withstand global change over centuries, but current low diversity is leaving them vulnerable to drought, pests and diseases.
• Only 6.2% of plants and 0.4–5.4% of fungi are associated with patents – commercialisation of products derived from plants and fungi via patents has the potential to generate wealth, reduce poverty, improve human well-being and raise awareness of biodiversity to incentivise its conservation.
• An in-depth look at biodiversity in the UK and its overseas territories where significant knowledge gaps need addressing, With climate change and habitat loss threatening plants and fungi in the UK, the authors suggest the knowledge gaps pose a challenge for conservation in the UK. Even less is known about plants and fungi in the UK Overseas Territories .

Launching the report, Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science at RBG Kew, said:

“The data emerging from this year’s report paint a picture of a world that has turned its back on the potential of plants and fungi to address fundamental global issues such as food security and climate change. Societies have been too dependent on too few species for too long.

“ At a time of rapid biodiversity loss, we are failing to access the treasure chest of incredible diversity on offer and missing a huge opportunity for our generation. As we start the most critical decade our planet has ever faced, we hope this report will give the public, businesses and policymakers the facts they need to demand nature-based solutions that can address the triple threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and food security.”

Produced in conjunction with an international scientific symposium, Kew’s State of the World’s Plants and Fungi sets an important international standard from which can trends in the global status of plant and fungal diversity can be tracked annually.

The report, the fourth in the State of the World’s series, combines plants and fungi for the first time.

It is also the first report that is accompanied by a full volume of expert-reviewed scientific publications in the New Phytologist Foundation’s Open Access journal Plant, People, Planet.

Click here to download State of the World’s Plants and Fungi 2020

Click here to access the expert-reviewed scientific publications