‘Just acquisitions? Law and ethics over time in Kew’s overseas plant collecting history’

This project undertaken within Royal Holloway’s Department of Law and Kew Gardens investigates the trajectory of Kew’s plant collecting and exportation since its colonial origins. It analyses historical archival records alongside recent overseas collecting agreements and situates these within the development of international environmental law and justice theories. What You Will Do You will engage with Kew’s extensive archival records on plant-collecting expeditions (1840–1950) and analyse the planning, organisation, and agreements with in-country authorities. The research applies critical legal perspectives around justice in acquisitions and transfer theories, incorporating human rights and ecosystem justice scholarship. Time will be spent at both Royal Holloway and RBG Kew, collaborating with supervisors and the broader cohort of CDP funded students. Expected Outcomes Outcomes include original socio-legal analyses uncovering how historical plant acquisitions impact present-day biodiversity agreements and justice debates. The work will contribute to understanding restitution, reparations, and remedies in biodiversity fields, informed by legal theoretical insights on racial and ecological injustices. Why It Matters This research makes critical contributions to debates about historical accountability, cultural identity, and social and economic justice within global plant science. It pioneers a novel legal perspective on Kew’s renowned botanical collections, connecting colonial histories with contemporary environmental and human rights law, helping to shape future ethical frameworks.

Relevant background in Law, Social Anthropology, History, Heritage, Environmental Humanities, or related fields
Interest in archival research and socio-legal analysis
Ability to work across legal, historical, and interdisciplinary research themes

Apply through the Royal Holloway PhD application route
Include the full project title and supervisor details
Be prepared to spend time at both Royal Holloway and Kew Gardens