Dear All,
Pl. See our latest article in Current Dear All, Pl. See our latest article in Current Science on Biodiversity Access and Benefit Sharing. Regards Priyan Prathapan, K.D and Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, 2011. Biodiversity access and benefit-sharing: weaving a rope of sand CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 100, NO. 3, 290-93. www.ias.ac.in/currsci/10feb2011/290.pdf EXCERPTS “Origin and nature of traditional knowledge makes it public knowledge. Defensive protection of traditional knowledge by documenting and making it available in the public domain would prevent misappropriation by elements in the private sector that present traditional knowledge without further novelty or inventivity as inventions for obtaining patents. This would also aid in the conservation and proper utilization, besides encouraging scientific validation and further research on traditional knowledge. On the contrary, silo-culture of traditional knowledge would be counter-productive.” “Benefit-sharing, the wrong shortcut to economic development, can neither be a substitute for innovation, invention or industrialization, nor a sustainable source of income for the rural communities. Underdevelopment of the South needs to be addressed in a much broader socio-economic and political context. The genetic resources of the global plant genetic estate were traditionally available free to the industries of the North, whereas products derived from the genetic resources were subjected to intellectual property protection. It was this asymmetry in ownership of technology and commercial gains through the intellectual property regime that widened the chasm between the South and the North, ultimately leading to the nationalization of genetic resources for benefit sharing.” It is doubtful whether CBD will ever progress towards its goal of halting all extinctions by 2050, unless the fundamental flaw of nationalization of biodiversity and the misplaced thrust on commercial benefits is corrected. Biodiversity is on the brink and the rate of extinction continues to be lethal33,34. Nations of the world should come together for the conservation of biodiversity as time is running out fast. In the changing global scenario, India has a greater responsibility to assume the lead role, especially as the next CoP is to take place in New Delhi in 2012.” _____________________________________________________________ Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, Ph.D. Senior Fellow Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur Post, Bangalore - 560 064, India. Ph:91-80-23635555 (R) 91-80-23535287; Fax: 91-80-23530070 Other ID: [email protected] URL: www.atree.org/priyan.html
