Format: ORAL

Ana Rita G. Simes1

1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom

Plant Taxonomy is a diverse and increasingly integrative discipline. With the expansion of digitally available collections, innovative molecular methodologies and geospatial analyses, there is an outstanding opportunity for this field to grow, and for the African continent, in particular, to accelerate the documentation of its plant diversity as never before. However, insufficient specialised human resources, unequal access to resources, and deficient infra-structure could weaken this momentum. Enhancing taxonomy training in Africa is key to filling in the specialists gap and overcome biases and inequalities in access to these skills. This presentation will offer an overview of current challenges and opportunities for plant taxonomy training, particularly in Africa, with suggestions on how to strategically design plant taxonomy training initiatives that efficiently tackle regional needs, fostered by international collaboration.