News published: 9 October 2025

Today at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) announced the official launch of the Illegal Plant Trade Coalition (IPTC). This alliance of diverse and global partners is working together to address, understand, and mitigate the illegal plant trade. The Coalition encourages everyone in the chain of sale, from harvesting to the end consumer of plants, to Think Twice and Trade Right. The launch event is supported by the IUCN Commission on Communications and Education and the Coalition’s Keystone Partners in the US, Canada and South Africa.

The illegal trade in plants is a growing crisis that a single organisation cannot tackle alone. The impact of the illegal trade is causing plant extinctions and putting many species at risk in the wild, with succulents, cacti, cycads and orchids being the most frequently targeted for ornamental trade. The loss of species is leading to ecosystem disruption and is contributing to the loss of valuable cultural and traditional knowledge. The prevalence of legal online trade in plants accelerates the risk to species illegally harvested from the wild, as it has enabled sellers and buyers, who traditionally may have never been in contact, to trade with relative ease and limited detection.

“The illegal plant trade is one of the most immediate threats to plant biodiversity worldwide,” said Carly Cowell, BGCI’s Director of Policy and Practice. “It undermines the integrity of ecosystems and erodes the planet’s ability to be resilient and support life. Through the Illegal Plant Trade Coalition, BGCI is working with public gardens, enforcement agencies, and communities to change behaviours, raise awareness, and build practical tools that empower people to make sustainable choices and protect threatened species.”

On 26 July 2023, BGCI’s International Advisory Council, made up of 38 botanic garden directors across six continents, agreed that global public awareness is urgently needed to stop the illegal plant trade and promote sustainable alternatives. Since 2023, the Coalition has been building momentum, and is now led by a Steering Committee of nine Keystone Partners who have taken up the call to action and are dedicating their time and resources to prevent plant extinctions from illegal trade.

Over the last 18 months the Coalition has been undertaking research and designing a variety of tools to help gardens, academic organisations, conservation organisations, communities, plant sellers and consumers tackle the illegal plant trade. These assets and tools are available to the Coalition’s Partners. At this initial stage of the Coalitions’ development, tools include posters, flyers, leaflets, presentations, case studies and other social media assets. The toolkit will continue to grow under the guidance of partners with information documents and learning modules already in the works. The tools aim to increase knowledge for organisational staff on the global issue of illegal plant trade, what to keep an eye out for and what can be done to mitigate the illegal trade Tools aimed at garden visitors aim to raise awareness of this often, unknown crisis and provide information towards making ethical and sustainable purchases.

With the official launch now underway, the Coalition is ready to work with more partners interested in shaping the Coalition, and calls on BGCI members to join as Action Partners, organisations with additional resources to join as Keystone Partners and interested parties to join as Outreach Partners. More information is available on the ‘get involved’ section of our webpage.

Help us shift the conversation on illegal wildlife trafficking from fauna to include flora.

For more information, please get in touch with us at policy@bgci.org or head to the ‘Get Involved’ section on the Illegal Plant Trade Coalition website. Here you will also find the release of the first newsletter (on the ‘Resources’ page), sharing stories from across the Coalition’s partnerships. Finally, engage with us on social media, where you can explore the full breadth of the Coalition and why it is needed.