Biodiversity, Community and Commercialisation, with Professor Monique Simmons OBE

Biodiversity, Community and Commercialisation, with Professor Monique Simmons OBE

On Tuesday 8 October, Canning House hosted its latest Business Breakfast at its Westminster offices, welcoming Professor Monique Simmons OBE, Director of Science (Partnerships) at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Attendees included diplomats, businesspeople and academics, with a focus on the critical intersections of biodiversity, scientific innovation, and commercialisation.

Following words of welcome from Jeremy Browne, CEO of Canning House, Pedro Lopez, representing the Embassy of Colombia, spoke briefly on the UN Conference on Biodiversity, taking place in Cali, Colombia from 21 October to 1 November. He noted the importance of biodiversity in the region, underscoring that it is something people will be able to “touch, feel, and enjoy” in Cali.

Professor Simmons began her presentation by highlighting Kew's growing focus on Latin America, as the Botanic Gardens shift from a traditional emphasis on Africa and Asia, pointing first to the example of the Kew Seedbank and its pivotal role in safeguarding wild plants, not just crop species – crucial for preservation of biodiversity, and infrastructure that Kew is replicating across the globe.

This is part of a broader mission to monitor biodiversity effectively and establish baseline data – a challenging task in many regions of Latin America, where the percentage loss of biodiversity is often uncertain. New technologies such as satellite imagery have made it easier to monitor plant species, although challenges remain, particularly with fungi.

Next, Professor Simmons stressed that plant traits, like the water-conservation methods of cacti, hold tremendous potential for economic use. She argued that these are often undervalued, and characterising plants accurately—particularly for medicinal purposes or cosmetics—requires language precision, particularly Latin taxonomy, indispensable.

A significant part of Kew’s work is now accelerating taxonomy and digitisation, enabling scientists to track the where and when of plant species, particularly in the context of climate change. As the impacts of rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns become more evident, Kew has been advising companies on where to source plants and even exploring whether they can be grown in different regions.

Professor Simmons explained how Kew has historically been science-focused, but there is increasing attention on how countries and communities can benefit from their genetic resources. Latin American countries are beginning to legislate in this area, ensuring that any commercial exploitation of their plants comes with fair compensation. Kew, for example, has worked with Procter & Gamble to ensure their science helps produce high-value products while supporting communities who can benefit economically from their biodiversity.

Fungi, she highlighted, remain one of the most under-researched areas in biodiversity. China alone uses over 750 species of fungi for food, yet community knowledge of fungi remains largely undocumented. Supermarkets are increasingly looking to fungi as a source of protein, but far more research is needed, particularly in vertical farming and fermentation.

Professor Simmons’ remarks also covered the vital importance of linking community knowledge with scientific research and business. For example, the commercial potential of plants with beneficial biological properties can provide a vital economic boost to communities, offering incentives to protect forests and avoid deforestation. Legal frameworks around benefit-sharing are crucial, and Simmons noted the need for clear routes to market, including the necessary infrastructure for transporting and preserving these plant products.

Looking ahead to COP16, questions from the audience focused on how to ensure local communities benefit proportionally from discoveries based on their traditional knowledge. Simmons emphasised that Kew has made strides in documenting the origins of such knowledge, but challenges remain in ensuring its equitable use by international companies. The importance of digital sequencing information (DSI) was also raised, as COP15 laid the groundwork for frameworks that, it is hoped, will now be developed further in Cali.

The breakfast roundtable ended with a discussion on the potential of biodiversity, acknowledging that there is still much to learn—particularly from fungi—and that the road from discovery to market must be paved with fairness, traceability, and benefit-sharing for all involved.

Canning House warmly thanks Professor Monique Simmons for her participation in this insightful Business Breakfast, as well as our attendees for their engagement and interest.