The Nagoya Protocol for the rest of us

2 November 2010   |   Permalink

 

Member Countries of the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the final text of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing in a nail-biting finish to more than six years of negotiation. It will take time for the full import of the consensus text to become apparent, especially as it affects the interests of the centres of the CGIAR and the poor farmers they serve.

Michael Halewood, Theme Leader of Bioversity International’s Policy & Law Unit, represented the CGIAR centres at most of the negotiations leading up to the Protocol, and was present at Nagoya. He offers some reflections.