Etc groups investigation of plant patents at the australian patent office in 1998 found that roughly 10% of the patents had elements of biopiracy, many blatant, including several from india. Biopiracy is the theft or usurpation of genetic materials especially plants and other biological materials by the patent process. Members of the cbd alliance, ngos and civil society groups, are pushing back against the adoption of these dangerous technologies in the cop negotiations in strategic and creative ways. Put simply, it refers to the theft of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. Shiva is an articulate educator who writes about the difficult and often unspoken history of corporate exploitation of the knowledge of nonwestern cultures. The rubber tree hevea brasiliensis,amazon 18791912latex from the tree drove the growth of manaus, which sir henry alexander wickham. The plunder of nature and knowledge by vandana shiva. Biopiracy definition, the commercial exploitation or monopolization of biological or genetic material, as medicinal plant extracts, usually without compensating the indigenous peoples or countries from which the material or relevant knowledge is obtained.
Pat mooney has more than four decades experience working in international civil society, first addressing aid and development issues and then focusing on food, agriculture and commodity trade. Apr 14, 20 biopiracy alters the environment, which in turn causes biodiversity depletion. Biopiracy refers to the appropriation of the knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions who seek exclusive monopoly control patents or intellectual property over these resources and knowledge. Etc group monitors the impact of emerging technologies and corporate strategies on biodiversity. The etc group defined biopiracy as the appropriation of the knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions. For an introduction to biopiracy and the state of global discussions check out this briefing from etc group. Biopiracy is the use of wild plants by international companies to develop medicines. Biopiracy definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Mar 08, 2010 etc groups investigation of plant patents at the australian patent office in 1998 found that roughly 10% of the patents had elements of biopiracy, many blatant, including several from india. Biopiracy is a situation in which indigenous knowledge of nature, originating with indigenous peoples, is used by others for profit, without permission from and with little or no compensation or recognition to the indigenous people themselves. Maggis ministry has adopted measures in brazil that limit the brazilian commitments in the cbd.
Biopiracy also attracts penny ante privateers who come into a community to pilfer, patent, and then sell their inventions to larger enterprises. The etc group often publishes opinions on scientific research. Loss of biodiversity, which is sometimes irreversible, often means a loss of choices. Hammond holds ms and ma degrees from the university of texas at austin, where. Patents are still the means to protect this piracy of the wealth of nonwestern peoples as a right of western powers 5. This book by the brilliant young scholar ikechi mgbeoji is at the forefront of the literature on this important topic. The original proponent of the term, pat roy mooney of the ngo action group on erosion technology and concentration etc, has previously stated that whatever the will and wishes. Biotechnology, gene patenting, visavis biopiracy of. The biodiversity convention must make biopiracy a major issue at fifth conference of the parties cop v being held may 15 26, 2000 in nairobi, kenya. Bioprospecting and biopiracy in the americas nacla. Biopiracy, a term originally coined by etc group, refers to the appropriation of the knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions that seek exclusive monopoly control patents or intellectual property over these resources and knowledge. Etc group, terminator technologyfive years later, communique. Biopiracy refers to the appropriation of the knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions who seek. Biopiracy definition of biopiracy by medical dictionary.
A controversial patent on ethiopias national cereal teff is about to be terminated thanks, in part, to the initiative of a german lawyer. Biopiracy is the practice of commercially exploiting naturally occurring genetic material or biochemical. The commercial development of biological compounds or genetic sequences by a technologically advanced country or organization without obtaining consent from or providing fair compensation to the peoples or nations in whose territory the. This is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book. Concentration etc, has previously stated that whatever the will and wishes.
In 1977 mooney cofounded rafi rural advancement fund international, renamed etc group in 2001. The aim of this book is to provide the most detailed, coherent analysis of the issue of biopiracy to date. Biopiracy definition of biopiracy by merriamwebster. Pdf this article examines the relationship between the concept of biopiracy. Communitybased biodiversity efforts win cog awards for defending food sovereignty. Etc group has remained active in the biopiracy discourse. Biopiracy, also known as bioprospecting, is legally defined as failing to obtain permission to collect samples, failing to disclose ones motivations in collecting samples, failing to follow national laws, or failing to follow a companys selfregulatory guidelines. Dec 09, 2016 for an introduction to biopiracy and the state of global discussions check out this briefing from etc group. Biopiracy pat mooney, etc group the appropriation of the knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions seeking exclusive monopoly control usually patents or plant breeders rights over these resources and knowledge.
What is biopiracy discover the methods, effects and. There are countless cases of biopiracy, many having affected whole cities and communities economies look. Pdf bioprospecting and biopiracy in the international. Biopiracy refers to the appropriation of the knowledge and genetic resources of. What is biopiracy discover the methods, effects and examples. This book compiles recent papers on biopiracy published by third world network. Biopiracy is a pathbreaking work on one of the most important issues of the coming century. The full legal name is action group on erosion, technology and concentration. Vandana shivas inspiring book is a clarion call that should be widely read and discussed by everyone concerned by the fate of the earth. Between 19812010, one third of all small molecule new chemical entities approved by the u. Biopiracy cases continue to emerge in the media and public eye, yet they remain the. This leads to the biopiracy where after exploiting the genetic resources and traditional knowledge the. Biopiracy list of high impact articles ppts journals.
Available data place india in the tenth position in the world and fourth in asia in plant diversity. Biopiracy alters the environment, which in turn causes biodiversity depletion. To be patentable an invention must be novel, inventive and have a commercial use. Some of the most fervent objections to bioprospecting come from activist groups that equate bioprospecting and intellectual property rights with biopiracy. The winners of the captain hook awards for biopiracy announced in curitiba today are an eclectic group that includes old favorites and new upandcomers. Intellectual property rights, the bioeconomy and the challenge of. These resources or compounds can be important for and useful in many fields, including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, bioremediation, and nanotechnology, among others. Etc group and others allege that such patents are wrongly awarded. Etc group is an international organization dedicated to the conservation and sustainable advancement of cultural and ecological diversity and human rights. Press release previous winners more information about biopiracy captain hook awards 2016 the coalition against biopiracy cab hosted the 6th captain hook awards ceremony at the thirteenth conference of the parties cop to the convention on biological diversity cbd in cancun, mexico, on friday 10th december 2016.
Biopiracy and patents developing countries fears are exaggerated. The plunder of nature and knowledge is a succinct and accessible introduction to the issue of patents and corporate control of the natural world. Among many who contributed, etc group wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the following. Developed countries are exploiting developing countries genetic resources and indigenous communities traditional knowledge in the name of patent on inventions derived from those genetic resource and traditional knowledge. Etc group has remained active in the biopiracy discourse, among other areas, and its most current definition of biopiracy is. According to jeremy rifkin, shivas book is a pathbreaking work on one of the most important issues of the coming century a clarion call that should be widely read and discussed by everyone concerned with the fate of the earth. Biopiracy is a situation where indigenous knowledge of nature is exploited for. The plunder of nature and knowledge, south end press, 1996, 148 pp.
Biopiracy and the innovations of indigenous peoples. He traveled mexico collecting plants that might prove valuable in curing european diseases. In 1992, activists around the country raised their voices to prevent the glorification of columbus on the 500th anniversary of the spanish invasion of the americas. The biopiracy of genetic resources including seeds, medicinal plants and microbes, as well as of the. Biopiracy is the columbian discovery 500 years after columbus. Patents on life, genetic engineering, and intellectual property rights, are the biopirates cargill, monsanto, the wto, western governments, etc hooks. Biopiracy and patenting of indigenous knowledge is a double theft because first it. Biopiracy refers either to the unauthorised extraction of biological resources, such as plants with medicinal properties, and associated traditional knowledge from indigenous peoples and local communities, or to the patenting of spurious inventions based on such knowledge or resources without compensation.
From 1999 to 2008 hammond directed the sunshine project, an international nongovernmental organisation specialising in biological weapons control. Biopiracy definition is the unethical or unlawful appropriation or commercial exploitation of biological materials such as medicinal plant extracts that are native to a particular country or territory without providing fair financial compensation to the people or government of that country or territory. The book covers issues ranging from genetic engineering, ecofeminism, the autonomous rights of communities and ecosystems, and the impact of socalled intellectual property and trade policies. The faunal and floral richness has been one of the biggest assets of india. Bioprospecting and biopiracy in the americas in the 1570s, a physician named francisco hernandez led the first colonial scientific expedition to the new world. New book from etc group in collaboration with pambazuka news. Biopiracy refers to the monopolization usually through intellectual property of genetic resources and traditional knowledge or culture taken from peoples or farming communities that developed and nurtured those resources. Intellectual property rights, the bioeconomy and the. Most of the indigenous people possess a traditional knowledge that mainly comprises of genetic diversity and biological feature of the natural environment from generation to generation. Introduction biopiracy is a divisive term, and deliberately so.
This book is a mustread for those interested in biopiracy. The plunder of nature and knowledge, by laura winton, left green network. Etc group believes that intellectual property is predatory on the rights and knowledge of farming communities and indigenous peoples. The term biopiracy was first created by the nongovernmental organization, action group on erosion, technology and concentration etc group, formerly known as rafi. Dec 30, 2017 there are countless cases of biopiracy, many having affected whole cities and communities economies look. Greater wildlife diversity may decrease the spread of many wildlife pathogens to humans. Etc group believes that intellectual property is predatory on the rights and. Biopiracy and the innovations of indigenous peoples and. To generalise, corporations of the western world have since the past two decades or so, been reaping immense profits by patenting the knowledge and genetic resources of third world communities, which also form biodiversity hotspots.
The book synthesises the rise of the issue and increasing use of the term by activists and negotiators in the world trade organization wto and the convention on biological diversity cbd, to form a critical understanding of the themes. The captain hook awards are a project of the coalition against biopiracy, an informal group of civil society and peoples organizations that first came together at the 1995. News of the exploitation of an ecuadorian indigenous group at the hands of a coalition of americanbased organizations has recently come to light. Biopiracy and the innovations of indigenous peoples and local communities daniel f. He was programme officer for the rural advancement foundation international now the etc group from 1995 to 1999. Gupta acknowledges that his librarys analysis concluded that almost 2,000 biopirated patents are filed annually in the west based on indian. Most of the indigenous people possess a traditional knowledge that mainly comprises of genetic diversity and biological feature of the. A threat to traditional medicine india boasts a wide variety of flora and fauna which are diversified in nature. Captain hook awards for biopiracy 2016 synbiowatch. Etc group believes that intellectual property is predatory on the rights. Bioprospecting is the process of discovery and commercialization of new products based on biological resources. In the 1990s, the etc group says its work expanded to encompass social and environmental concerns related to biotechnology, biopiracy, human genomics and, in the late 1990s, to nanotechnology.
The term biopiracy is a direct challenge to the legitimacy of activities that have entered the mainstream of contemporary global capitalism. Whereas the ill treatment was once centered on acquiring land and natural resources, the latest developments suggest a new form of abuse. Etc group monitors the impact of emerging technologies and corporate strategies on biodiversity, agriculture and human rights. The cases described here span the developing world, from african and middle eastern medicinal plants to south american fruit, to asian microbes, among others. Says hope shand, research director of the etc group, pharmaceutical corporations are winning exclusive monopoly patents on someone elses knowledge and resources. The etc group was known as rafi rural advancement foundation international until 1 september 2001, and its history runs back to the national sharecroppers fund that was established in the 1930s by eleanor roosevelt amongst others to alleviate the plight of poor, mostly black tenant farmers in the u. Corporate power and the final frontier in the commodification of life. From a green perspective, which recognizes the interrelatedness of issues regarding environmentalism, economics, gender, etc. Pdf on feb 1, 2017, benjamin neimark and others published bioprospecting and biopiracy in the international encyclopedia of geography.
552 1586 1363 304 732 1619 1559 1584 34 847 239 217 918 1213 1105 770 1160 412 839 1088 655 303 1254 961 549 1487 241 391 7 91 1096