Overview
Access and benefit sharing is a good opportunity to link private companies and governments through a common network of interests for genetic resources and biodiversity conservation. This process is possible by bioprospecting contracts signed by both parts. Thus, bio-information access for companies and benefits from commercialized products for countries are guaranteed, which are channeled to biodiversity conservation.
What are Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and Bioprospecting?
Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) refers to the concept and framework established by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in which a new way to trade genetic resources is defined. In this regard, the CBD establishes its objectives;
The objectives of this Convention, to be pursued in accordance with its relevant provisions, are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding[1].
Therefore, it is recognized the country’s sovereignty over its own biological resources guaranteeing not only that sustainability and conservations is a responsibility of every State but especially opening a new opportunity for biodiversity-rich countries to allow access to its biological resources. Consequently through pharmaceutical and agricultural companies is possible to trade bio-information in exchange of monetary and non-monetary benefits.
Access and benefit sharing is a good opportunity to link private companies and governments through a common network of interests for genetic resources and biodiversity conservation. This process is possible by bioprospecting contracts signed by both parts. Thus, bio-information access for companies and benefits from commercialized products for countries are guaranteed, which are channeled to biodiversity conservation.
What are Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and Bioprospecting?
Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) refers to the concept and framework established by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in which a new way to trade genetic resources is defined. In this regard, the CBD establishes its objectives;
The objectives of this Convention, to be pursued in accordance with its relevant provisions, are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding[1].
Therefore, it is recognized the country’s sovereignty over its own biological resources guaranteeing not only that sustainability and conservations is a responsibility of every State but especially opening a new opportunity for biodiversity-rich countries to allow access to its biological resources. Consequently through pharmaceutical and agricultural companies is possible to trade bio-information in exchange of monetary and non-monetary benefits.
In this framework, it is possible to talk about bioprospecting as the form in which genetic resources are collected in order to be analyzed and their material properties are determined for the possible use in a commercialized product. In this regard for example, a pharmaceutical company may draw up a contract with a biodiversity-rich country which guarantees access to some genetic resources. Thus, the company starts a long process of research and development in order to find ways these genetic resources may be used as commercialized products. If the company succeeds, it should give back monetary benefits and/or technological knowledge to the country.
Very important to stress is that benefits received by the provider country should be channeled back for biodiversity conservation. When this takes place, the concept of access and benefit sharing is fulfilled. With this framework a new kind of biological trade is possible.
The effectiveness of bioprospecting pursues two more objectives: a) to alleviate poverty and b) to avoid biopiracy. The first is possible due to the fact that most of the biodiversity-rich countries are developing countries. Thus, with a well-planned strategy and well-designed legal framework in these countries can generate significant incomes.
On the other hand, is possible to avoid biopiracy, as it was pointed out before, because the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) gives to the countries sovereignty over their natural resources. Consequently it should not be possible that private companies utilize information without permission of the provider country. However, real practice shows that many countries have not developed controls and the proper legal framework to stop biopiracy.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Some of the advantages and disadvantages have already been described. Among the most important are the following:
- Advantages
Sustainable conservation of biodiversity.
Open access to develop new helpful products for the people in general.
New economic activities for developing countries.
- Disadvantages
The process to develop a new product takes long time (time lags).
Probabilities to find a useful active ingredient vary from 1 in 5000 to 1 in 10000[2].
There are not enough incentives to maintain forest instead cultivated lands.
Interests of indigenous groups and their traditional knowledge are not taking into account.
Bioprospecting in developing countries: The case of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is well known because of its large biodiversity. Actually according to the CBD[3] there are over 87000 species which represents 6,2 % of the known species in the world. Likewise, it is important to stress that 25% of the territory are protected areas and approximately 40% of all the country is covered by forest. These facts show the high value of Costa Rica’s biodiversity.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Some of the advantages and disadvantages have already been described. Among the most important are the following:
- Advantages
Sustainable conservation of biodiversity.
Open access to develop new helpful products for the people in general.
New economic activities for developing countries.
- Disadvantages
The process to develop a new product takes long time (time lags).
Probabilities to find a useful active ingredient vary from 1 in 5000 to 1 in 10000[2].
There are not enough incentives to maintain forest instead cultivated lands.
Interests of indigenous groups and their traditional knowledge are not taking into account.
Bioprospecting in developing countries: The case of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is well known because of its large biodiversity. Actually according to the CBD[3] there are over 87000 species which represents 6,2 % of the known species in the world. Likewise, it is important to stress that 25% of the territory are protected areas and approximately 40% of all the country is covered by forest. These facts show the high value of Costa Rica’s biodiversity.
For that reason, since 1991 Costa Rica has developed a strategic plan in order to guarantee not only conservation of its species but also to take advantage of its biodiversity through bioprospecting contracts with pharmaceutical and agricultural companies. Thus, with participation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy and Mines (MINAE), and the creation of the National Institute for Biodiversity (INBio) as a private but non-profit institution, the government has established the proper legal framework to develop bioprospecting in a safe and economically attractive way. Consequently, Costa Rica is channeling earnings obtained to biodiversity conservation.
In this regard six initial projects have been developed with cooperation of Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), INBio and national companies in Costa Rica. These projects are[4]:
- Agrobiot S.A.: grows orchids, bromeliads and palms for sale.
- Bougainvillea, S.A.: produces a pesticide that is based on an extract from the quassia tree. The tree native from Costa Rica forest is also a source for medicinal compounds.
- La Gavilana, S.A.: is developing an environmentally friendly technology package for producing organic vanilla by using a native fungus.
- Caraito S.A.: is selling an iron-rich extract derived from the seed pods of a native tree.
- Laboratorios Lisan S.A.: has a line of natural pharmaceutical products in which INBio scientists established methods for quality control. Quasia is one of its commercialized products.
Summing up, ABS (and bioprospecting) represents a good opportunity to take advantage of biodiversity in developing countries. However, it is really necessary to create the correct framework in order to guarantee the sustainable use of natural resources in the long term.
The case of Costa Rica represents a good model to follow and an admirable example of long term vision and serious work on biodiversity. No doubts about the value added of such initiatives for the country and the benefits that may be obtained with further actions in this field.
References:
[1] Convention on Biological Diversity. Article 1. Online accessed at 28-05-2008: http://www.cbd.int/convention/articles.shtml?a=cbd-01
[2] Richerzaghen, Carmen and Holm Mueller, Karin (2005). The effectiveness of access and benefit sharing in Costa Rica:
Implications for national and international regimes. Ecological Economics #53. pp, 450.
[3] The Convention on Biological Diversity. “Country Profiles: Costa Rica”. Online accessed at 28-05-2008: http://www.cbd.int/countries/?country=cr
[4] IDBAmerica. Magazine of the Inter-American Development Bank. “The business of biodiversity”. Online accessed at 28-05-2008: http://www.iadb.org/idbamerica/index.cfm?thisid=2665
[1] Convention on Biological Diversity. Article 1. Online accessed at 28-05-2008: http://www.cbd.int/convention/articles.shtml?a=cbd-01
[2] Richerzaghen, Carmen and Holm Mueller, Karin (2005). The effectiveness of access and benefit sharing in Costa Rica:
Implications for national and international regimes. Ecological Economics #53. pp, 450.
[3] The Convention on Biological Diversity. “Country Profiles: Costa Rica”. Online accessed at 28-05-2008: http://www.cbd.int/countries/?country=cr
[4] IDBAmerica. Magazine of the Inter-American Development Bank. “The business of biodiversity”. Online accessed at 28-05-2008: http://www.iadb.org/idbamerica/index.cfm?thisid=2665
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