Article
When the cure kills—CBD limits biodiversity research
Science
(2018)
Abstract
The Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) commits its 196 nation parties
to conserve biological diversity, use
its components sustainably, and share
fairly and equitably the benefits from
the utilization of genetic resources. The
last of these objectives was further codified
in the Convention’s Nagoya Protocol (NP),
which came into effect in 2014. Although
these aspirations are laudable, the NP and
resulting national ambitions on Access and
Benefit Sharing (ABS) of genetic resources
have generated several national regulatory
regimes fraught with unintended consequences
(1). Anticipated benefits from the
commercial use of genetic resources, especially
those that might flow to local or indigenous
communities because of regulated
access to those resources, have largely been
exaggerated and not yet realized. Instead,
national regulations created in anticipation
of commercial benefits, particularly in many
countries that are rich in biodiversity, have
curtailed biodiversity research by in-country
scientists as well as international collaboration
(1). This weakens the first and foremost
objective of the CBD—conservation of biological
diversity. We suggest ways that the Conference
of the Parties (CoP) of the CBD may
proactively engage scientists to create a regulatory
environment conducive to advancing
biodiversity science.
Keywords
- biopiracy,
- taxonomy studies,
- biodiversity
Disciplines
Publication Date
June 29, 2018
DOI
10.1126/science.aat9844
Citation Information
Zhiwei Liu, Kaniyarikkal Divakaran Prathapan, Rohan Pethiyagoda, Kamaljit S Bawa, et al.. "When the cure kills—CBD limits biodiversity research" Science Vol. 360 Iss. 6396 (2018) p. 1405 - 1406 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/zhiwei_liu/13/