Convention on biological diversity
Trends in benefit-sharing
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- Industry perceptions of the CBD and ABS
- 1. Introduction
- Industry Profiles
Trends in benefit-sharingBenefit sharing varies by sector, but since adoption of the CBD standards for best practice in benefit-sharing have become widely accepted. This has been a significant and positive achievement of the CBD and ABS policy dialogue. Larger or socially responsible companies today do not generally consider genetic resources freely available, or the ‘common heritage of mankind’. Groups with the most experience in benefit-sharing emphasize the importance of non-monetary benefits and ‘front-loading’ benefit-sharing packages to ensure that provider countries receive a stream of benefits through the discovery and development phases, given the small odds of any one partnership yielding a commercial product. While responsible users of genetic resources understand that providers must benefit, there remains debate about appropriate monetary benefits, in particular up front payments and royalties. At the heart of this debate are different concepts of the value of genetic resources to commercial product discovery and development. A regular feature in current industry commentary on the CBD and ABS measures is the need to match expectations of value with commercial realities, and to appropriately value genetic resources in negotiations with companies. Many companies seek the benefits of better-developed and longer-term partnerships with source country institutions. Partnerships allow companies to access local expertise and resources in areas of interest, and in some cases companies build research capacity to undertake a greater share of discovery, more affordably, in provider countries. Partnerships also provide more insurance to companies that the resources they access are legally obtained. Partnerships also enhance the benefits accruing to provider countries and their institutions, particularly those that build the scientific and technological capacity of countries to undertake research on their own biological diversity. Because provider country scientists play a larger role in discovery when part of partnerships, it also means that financial benefits derived from any commercial product will be more significant. Better-established partnerships also help provider countries monitor the ways samples are collected and used; this is particularly important as scientific and technological advances mean that companies often do not need to go back to providers to re-collect promising species. Industry perceptions of the CBD and ABSIndustry and researcher perceptions of the CBD, and ABS in particular, have become increasingly negative in the last decade. Some continue to cite the positive role the CBD can play in promoting equitable relationships, conservation and best practices in industry, but many more consider the negative impacts to far outweigh the positive. Rather than coming together over the last 13 years to create simple, workable legal and regulatory frameworks for access and benefit-sharing, providers and users of genetic resources are increasingly estranged, and the environment in which bioprospecting takes place is often characterized by misunderstanding, mistrust, and regulatory confusion. Researchers in both academia and industry also expressed significant concern about the negative impact ABS is having upon basic science and upon traditions of trust and collaboration among scientists. Recommendations During the course of this project, a range of recommendations were made by industry and researchers on ways to improve the ABS policy process. They include those to provider country governments on how to make ABS measures more effective; to user country governments on the need to provide ABS support and information to their industries; and to CBD Parties to undertake an on-going process of informing decision-makers about the nature of commercial use of biodiversity. 1. IntroductionThis paper provides an overview of recent market and research trends that impact industry demand for genetic resources. It also identifies trends in benefit-sharing, and – 13 years after the CBD entered into force – the impact the CBD, and national ABS policies and regulations, have had on industry demand for and research on genetic resources. The paper also reports on industry and researcher perspectives on the strengths and weaknesses of the CBD, and ABS measures in particular.As part of the research for this paper, approximately 40 interviews were undertaken in 2005 with a wide range of academic and industry researchers, as well as company executives, government officials, and individuals working on ABS issues for NGOs and other groups. The breakdown of interviews with researchers and industry representatives by sector is as follows: pharmaceuticals: 7; biotechnology: 4 ; seed and crop protection: 5; horticulture: 3; personal care and cosmetic (including fragrance): 4; botanicals: 4; food and beverage: 1.This paper is an overview of the state of the field today, and in no way can be considered comprehensive. While it identifies the broad parameters of current trends that should impact the design, development, and implementation of effective ABS measures, a far more comprehensive study, or an on-going effort on behalf of the Parties to the CBD to track these developments and perspectives, is warranted. The paper begins with a review of trends in markets, research and development, and demand for access to genetic resources in five sectors: pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, seed, crop protection, and horticulture. Drawing on perspectives from a broader range of industries - including the cosmetic and personal care, botanical, fragrance, and food and beverage - it then reviews trends in benefit-sharing across sectors and reports on the impact of the CBD, and national ABS policies and regulations, on industry demand for genetic resources. It concludes with recommendations for more effective ABS policy.
A wide range of sectors undertake research and develop commercial products from genetic resources. They include the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, seed, crop protection, horticulture, cosmetic and personal care, fragrance and flavor, botanicals, and food and beverage industries. Each sector is part of a unique market, undertakes research and development in distinct ways, and uses genetic resources and demands access to these resources very differently. Incorporation of these factors into ABS regulatory frameworks is essential. Following is a brief overview of five sectors – pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, seed, crop protection and horticulture - that highlights some of the recent market and scientific and technological trends, and the ways they impact demand for access. Directory: doc -> meetings meetings -> To facilitate the description of ecologically meetings -> Cbd distr. General 24 March 2014 english only meeting of the ad hoc technical expert group on risk assessment and risk management of living modified organisms bonn, Germany, 2-6 June 2014 information note for participants meetings -> Convention on biological diversity meetings -> Unep/cbd/sbstta/20/1/Add. 1/Rev. 1 23 December 2015 meetings -> Convention on biological diversity meetings -> Convention on biological diversity meetings -> Development of an Interactive Map (IMap) and review of spatial databases containing information on marine areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction meetings -> - meetings -> Unep/cbd/xxxx meetings -> Unep/cbd/mcb/EM/2014/4/inf/1 12 August 2014 Download 331.74 Kb. Share with your friends:
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