Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
Forests and trees enhance and protect landscapes, ecosystems and production systems. They provide goods and services which are essential to the survival and well-being of all humanity. Forest genetic resources – the heritable materials maintained within and among tree and other woody plant species that are of actual or potential …
This Access and Benefit Sharing Policy is developed to guide access to Bhutan’s genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge and ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their research and commercial utilization. It will also enable national capacity-building and contribute to the vision outlined in Bhutan 2020- …
New Delhi : A member of the Supreme Court appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC) on GM crops has told the apex court that the five other members on the panel had submitted a report without his “knowledge or consent”. R S Paroda, the representative for the agriculture and plant genetic …
A change in a single amino acid (A477V) in one pigmentation-related gene (SLC45A2) causes some tigers to have white fur with dark or sepia brown stripes, scientists from Peking University, Beijing, have found. They studied 16 captive white tigers from three parents. The results were published on Thursday in the …
The present document introduces a proposed Roadmap on Climate Change and Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and provides an indicative estimate of the extra-budgetary resources required for the implementation of the Roadmap activities. The proposed Roadmap is presented in Appendix I and the estimated extra-budgetary resource requirements in Appendix …
Biopiracy is a compound word consisting of ‘bio’ which is a short form for ‘biology’ and ‘piracy’. Biopirates are those individuals and industries/companies accused of one or both of the following acts: (i) the theft, misappropriation of, or unfair free-riding on, genetic resources and/or traditional knowledge, and (ii) the unauthorized …
The inclusion of the socio-economic aspects in environmental decision-making has been practiced since the early seventies. The interactions between the environment and society, the growing demand for social responsibility and the pledge towards sustainable development are some of its drivers. However, in multilateral environmental agreements, particularly in the Cartagena Protocol …
This study aims to enhance understanding of the dynamic relationship among biodiversity conservation and management, gender, and livelihoods in the greater Himalayan region. Based on a review of literature and field-based case studies on the ground, it provides important insights on the different ways in which women and men in …
As India plays host to the Convention on Biological Diversity's 11th Conference of the Parties in Hyderabad in October 2012, this article takes a closer look at the country's legislation on the subject - the Biological Diversity Act (2002).
Hyderabad: The Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Bio-diversity will be held in Hyderabad from October 1 to 19 to deliberate on issues concerning conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and regulated access to genetic resources. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the global meet to be …
The Eastern Himalayan belt is the centre of origin for a number of crops, including rice. This study explored the customary laws and farming practices of Lepcha and Limbu communities, and what they mean for the design of mechanisms to protect traditional knowledge (TK) at national and community levels. It …
Tropical fruits – full of rich nutrients and health properties – are adapted to hot and humid environments. Many tropical fruit species might spread beyond their current geographical limit whereas some species might exhibit irregular bearing of fruit. In this context, there are some important questions that need answers: What …
There is growing recognition that successful adaptation of agricultural production systems to changes in climate will depend upon the improved access to, and use of, genetic diversity. In order to facilitate this adaptation, new forms of interdisciplinary research, new technologies, novel partnerships and effective policy instruments are considered essential. Given …
Many rural communities in the global South – including some 370 million indigenous peoples – are directly dependent on biodiversity and related traditional knowledge for their livelihoods, food security, healthcare and well-being. But with the loss of biodiversity, valuable resources such as climate-resilient crops, medicinal plants and wild foods are …
The conservation and sustainable use of Bhutan’s biodiversity through securing the economic, social and spiritual wellbeing of the Bhutanese people. The National ABS policy covers the utilization of Bhutanese genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with biological resources when used for commercial and/or research purposes. This policy excludes biological resources …
In light of the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol, it is important for countries that have or are in the process of putting in place national ABS measures to share their experiences in implementation. Drawing upon practical experience with ABS will greatly assist in highlighting where regulatory gaps exist, what …
This document provides an overview of the global aquaculture status and development trends resulting from a series of regional reviews; Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East and North Africa, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa, conducted by FAO in 2010. The global production of fish from aquaculture has …
Several UN entities have issued a Blueprint for Ocean and Coastal Sustainability, which highlights the role of oceans in sustainable development and offers recommendations ahead of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). This Blueprint provides an overview of the threats faced by the oceans, including unsustainable use, …
When we reflect back in the past, we recollect Pandit Nehru's declaration soon after Independence in 1947, 'Everything else can wait but not Agriculture'. In 1948, Mahatma Gandhi orchestrated 'God is bread to the hungry'. This perspective of our national leadership led to the development of research institutions and the …
Disclosure is now at the heart of the misappropriation debate—and the centrepiece of vexed international efforts to hammer out a treaty to protect the last major resources of developing nations. Talks in the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) last month on protecting genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural …
