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The ‘Facilitator’: Proposing a New Mechanism to Strengthen the Equitable and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

Anatole F. Krattiger
Affiliation:
Adjunct Professor, International Academy of the Environment, 1231 Conches, Geneva, Switzerland, and Executive Director, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), 260 Emerson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-1902, USA
William H. Lesser
Affiliation:
Director, Biodiversity/Biotechnology Programme, International Academy of the Environment, 1231 Conches, Geneva, Switzerland, and Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, 405 Warren Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-1902, USA.

Extract

The focus of the Convention on Biological Diversity on conservation, the sustainable use of the greatest possible diversity of biota, and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived therefrom, has broadened the opportunities and responsibilities of a range of entities that are involved with conservation. Countries seeking to market their genetic resources, as well as firms seeking access to these materials, are uncertain as to how to proceed under the new expectations brought about by the Convention, and the excitement stemming from prospecting revenues is having an unfortunate side-effect in emphasizing the perceived newness of this opportunity. The continued emphasis on newness discourages participation until a less risky standard practice emerges.

Type
Main Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1995

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