Policy and Law

- Access and Benefit Sharing


Women examining seeds at a local diversity fair in the village of Begnas, Nepal. Credit: B. Sthapit/Bioversity

Regulations concerning access to genetic resources and the sharing of benefits associated with their use are of are of vital interest to the global community.

However, it is an open question as to what kind of regime is most appropriate for different categories of genetic resources, and for different uses. In developing effective regulatory regimes, it is important that practical considerations on how different types of genetic resources are conserved and used be considered.

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The special case of agricultural biodiversity

The case of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture highlights the importance of building an access and benefit sharing regime on an appreciation of the historical development and use of a particular category of genetic resources. Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture have been spread widely around the world for thousands of years; countries are interdependent upon them for food security. In this regard, in general, they differ, for example, from wild endemic species used for medicinal purposes. By establishing a multilateral system on access and benefit sharing, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture reflects the world community's appreciation of these facts about Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

Go to the International Treaty

In a similar manner it is critically important to also consider the unique factors concerning the historical development and patterns of exchange and use farm animal genetic resources. The upcoming publication of the first report on the State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources and the First International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources to be held in Interlaken, Switzerland, in September 2007, will provide very useful information to be able to think through how arm animal genetic resources can be taken into consideration in ongoing process to develop national and international regulatory regimes concerning access to genetic resources and benefit sharing.

Go to Animal genetic resources

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Negotiations continue

Many regions are in the process of developing crop conservation strategies. Not all of the crops they are interesting in conserving are included in Annex 1 of the Treaty. Efforts are underway in a number of regions to develop policies about the most appropriate access and benefit sharing policies to serve as the foundation of exchange for those materials.

The Eighth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), extended the mandate of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing to negotiate an international agreement on access and benefit sharing within the framework of the CBD. Technical contributions from scientific organizations concerning different categories of genetic resources for food and agriculture will continue to be very useful inputs into the deliberations of the Working Group.

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