Biopiracy is a learned, clear and passionately stated objection to the ways in which western businesses are being allowed to expropriate natural processes and traditional forms of knowledge. Biopiracy, bioresources, biomolecules, biopatent, biotechnology. He argues that biopiracy brings together in one term the ambivalent promises that emerge at the. Biopiracy is the practice of commercially exploiting naturally occurring genetic material or biochemical. The aim of this book is to provide the most detailed, coherent analysis of the issue of biopiracy to date. Between 19812010, one third of all small molecule new chemical entities approved by the u. Biopiracy as a challenge to intellectual property rights. The plunder of nature and knowledge, she charged that these practices were tantamount to biological theft. 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. In the long run, it determines livelihoods and economic sovereignty because what is commonly available becomes an intellectual property. The plunder of nature and knowledge is a succinct and accessible introduction to the issue of patents and corporate control of the natural world. Biopiracy the plunder of nature and knowledge by vandana shiva south end press, 1999 purchase on. Since the emergence of the biotechnology industry, biopiracy has become a lightning rod for activists. Shiva expounded upon her ideas on corporate trade agreements, the exponential decrease in the genetic diversity of crops, and patent law in stolen.
Biopiracy definition of biopiracy by the free dictionary. Mackey is with the institute of health law studies, california western school of law, san diego, and the joint doctoral program on global health, university of. Governments sovereignty over natural resources is linked. The concept of patenting and owning life is antithetical to all cultures in the third world. Need to protect and preserve traditional knowledge has gained its importance in india. Nov 14, 2000 the big prizes, and the first to have been patented, say watchdog groups like action aid, grain and rafi, are the staple cereal crops with huge global commercial value like rice, maize, wheat.
He analyses how biopiracy is used to index a divergence of conflicting views about the ramifications of increasing technological and legal encroachments into the realm of knowledge and nature. 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. But while india is embroiled in this state of affairs, it is increasingly becoming clear that the african neem tree is the next target for the biopirates. The faunal and floral richness has been one of the biggest assets of india. The biopiracy myth at the heart of the monsanto case. Biopiracy list of high impact articles ppts journals. Biopiracy cases of traditional knowledge protective measures.
An independent open source renderer mediawiki2latex is available. The appropriation of plants and traditional knowledge by corporations and other entities is often called biopiracy. As ive argued elsewhere, some cases of alleged biopiracy are more ambiguous than critics of cultural appropriation typically admit. Nov 25, 2016 today we hear less about biopiracy than we did a few years ago. Biopiracy of natural products and good bioprospecting practice. But one case of flagrant biopiracy, that of sweeteners drived from the south american species stevia rebaudiana, is finally starting to get the attention it deserves. Biopiracy a major concern for traditional knowledge there have been several cases of biopiracy of traditional knowledge indigenous traditional knowledge reported from india in the recent past. Apr 14, 20 biopiracy alters the environment, which in turn causes biodiversity depletion. 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. Vandana shiva argues that genetic engineering and the cloning of organisms are the ultimate expression of the commercialization of science and the commodification of nature life itself is being colonized. It can be defined as unauthorized or uncompensated appropriation and commercial exploitation of genetic resources in developing countries andor traditional knowledge of indigenous communities by corporations, mostly from developed countries, which seek then monopoly control, usually patents, over these resources or inventions derived from these. But antibiopiracy activists and indigenous people deem this encroachment as theft and pirating of indigenous knowledge, and are fighting to free the neem tree.
The big prizes, and the first to have been patented, say watchdog groups like action aid, grain and rafi, are the staple cereal crops. A threat to traditional medicine india boasts a wide variety of flora and fauna which are diversified in nature. The scope and reach of biological patents vary among jurisdictions, and may include biological technology and products, genetically modified organisms and genetic. Bioprospecting and biopiracy in the americas in the 1570s, a physician named francisco hernandez led the first colonial scientific expedition to the new world. Biopiracy is the practice of commercially exploiting. He traveled mexico collecting plants that might prove valuable in curing european diseases. 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, implications and politics of biopiracy. Loss of biodiversity, which is sometimes irreversible, often means a loss of choices. 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. Integrating biodiversity management and indigenous biopiracy protection to promote environmental justice and global health tim k. What is biopiracy discover the methods, effects and examples. Biopiracy definition of biopiracy by merriamwebster. May 01, 20 the european parliament is debating a draft biopiracy law requiring industry to compensate indigenous people if it makes commercial use of local knowledge such as plantbased medicines. The epidemic of biopiracy is an assault on our living heritage of biodiversity and cumulative innovation embodied in the traditional knowledge of agriculture and medicine.
From the root words bio and piracy, biopiracy literally means the patenting of life. 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 materials were discovered. Shiva is an articulate educator who writes about the difficult and often unspoken history of corporate exploitation of the knowledge of nonwestern cultures. Biopiracy causes the loss of control of traditional populations over their resources. The book synthesises the rise of the issue and increasing use of the term by. The inhouse pdf rendering service has been withdrawn. Genetic materials from plants, animals, and other biological resources that have long been identified and developed, are being owned by companies and manufacturers through patents. It is therefore incumbent upon bioprospectors that collect, use and stake claim to genetic resources to do so in compliance with the rules established in the countries where they collect. Food security is affected as biodiversity is a safety net that increases food security. Countries like america, japan, united kingdom, france and germany are industrialised nations. Biopiracy is a learned, clear and passionately stated objection to the ways in which western businesses are being allowed to expropriate natural processes and traditional forms of knowledge praise for biopiracy biopiracy is a pathbreaking work on one. Biopiracy means not only the smuggling of diverse forms of flora and fauna, but mainly the appropriation and monopolization of traditional populations knowledge and biological resources. Biopiracy alters the environment, which in turn causes biodiversity depletion.
These nations are advanced in technology with financial resources but compared with the indian subcontinent are poor in bio diversity and traditional knowledge related to utilisation of flora and fauna that constitute the bio resources. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. 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. Biopiracy is the columbian discovery 500 years after columbus. It6801 question bank service oriented architecture regulation 20 anna university. The most topical area of discussion was biotechnology, especially the new patents on seeds, biopiracy and biosafety.
A biological patent is a patent on an invention in the field of biology that by law allows the patent holder to exclude others from making, using, selling, or importing the protected invention for a limited period of time. Chris hamilton focuses on the use and significance of the term biopiracy. Furthermore, it denies the cumulative innovative genius of. The phenomenon of appropriation of plants and tkup, otherwise known as biopiracy, thrives in a cultural milieu where nonwestern forms of knowledge are systemically marginalized and devalued as folk knowledge or characterized as inferior. 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.
Greater wildlife diversity may decrease the spread of many wildlife pathogens to humans. Biopiracy definition of biopiracy by medical dictionary. What is biopiracy discover the methods, effects and. Integrating biodiversity management and indigenous. But one case of flagrant biopiracy, that of sweeteners drived from the south american species stevia rebaudiana, is finally starting to get the. Biopiracy raises serious issues pertaining to the conservation of biological diversity and genetic resources in agriculture, the integrity of plant life forms, a just international economic order, and development. Bioprospecting is the process of discovery and commercialization of new products based on biological resources. Biopiracy is the theft or usurpation of genetic materials especially plants and other biological materials by the patent process. Biopiracy definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Today we hear less about biopiracy than we did a few years ago. Turmeric powder, which has a distinctive deep yellow color and bitter taste, is used as a dye, a cooking ingredient, and litmus in a chemical test, and has medicinal uses as well. Emblematic of todays situation, in which flora and fauna. A compilation of some recent cases 20 diversity and its nagoya protocol.
Confronting biopiracy challenges, cases and international debates. Biopiracy in the amazon forest creates a vicious cycle. Turmeric is a tropical herb grown in east india, and the powdered product made from the rhizomes of its flowers has several popular uses worldwide. Patents are still the means to protect this piracy of the wealth of nonwestern peoples as a right of western powers 5. Gurdial nijar, legal consultant of the third world network, pointed out that indigenous knowledge has fed, clothed and healed the world for millenia.
Biopiracy cases continue to emerge in the media and public eye, yet they remain the source of considerable disagreement, confusion, controversy and grief. Biopiracy is the use of wild plants by international companies to develop medicines. Global biopiracy rethinks the role of international law and legal concepts, global patent systems, and international agricultural research institutions as they affect legal ownership and control of plants and the knowledge that makes them valuable. Biopiracy cases continue to emerge in the media and public eye, yet. Biopiracy bioresources biomolecules biopatent biotechnology multinational companies without proper authorisation is known as biopiracy. Bioprospecting and biopiracy in the americas nacla. 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. The foreign individuals and entities benefit from the traditional knowledge and buy the resources needed at a very low cost.
These resources or compounds can be important for and useful in many fields, including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, bioremediation, and nanotechnology, among others. It can be defined as unauthorized or uncompensated appropriation and commercial exploitation of genetic resources in developing countries andor traditional knowledge of indigenous communities by corporations, mostly from developed countries, which seek then monopoly control, usually patents, over these. A biological patent is a patent on an invention in the field of biology that by law allows the. Legal control and ownership of plants and traditional knowledge of the uses of plants tkup is a vexing issue. Biopiracy in the amazon began almost immediately after the discovery by the portuguese in 1500, when they stole the secret from the indigenous people of the region how to extract a red pigment from paubrasil brazil wood. The plunder of nature and knowledge and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. For help with downloading a wikipedia page as a pdf, see help. Available data place india in the tenth position in the world and fourth in asia in plant diversity. The commercial development of biological compounds or genetic sequences by a technologically advanced country or. Biopiracy claims refer to a range of concerns regarding the appropriation of biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge without adequate authorization or compensation. Eu debates biopiracy law to protect indigenous people. Patents on life, genetic engineering, and intellectual property rights, are the biopirates cargill, monsanto, the wto, western governments, etc hooks. Titinchi, biopiracy of natural products and good bioprospecting practice, phytomedicine 2016, doi.