Biopiracy can be defined as the appropriation of another’s knowledge of the use of biological resources. The issue is that these patent resources or knowledge held by farmers, traditional communities, and indigenous tribes are exploited by various organizations and companies. The new discoveries made by pharmaceutical and agricultural industries may appear as innovative, but they are based on centuries of knowledge by traditional societies. The first cases of biopiracy in Latin America occurred as early as the 1400s, with the discovery of the New World by European explorers.
Several examples of biopiracy can be seen in the Amazon; one involving rubber tree seeds. In 1876, Englishman Henry Alexander Wickham took these seeds – some believe they hid them between banana leaves – and brought them to a British-run plantation in Malaysia. Within years, this area would become the main exporter of latex, destroying the economy in the Amazon which was based on the rubber tree. Wickham was referred to as the “executioner of the Amazonas” by the rubber barons in Brazil, but praised by the British government.
Another example of biopiracy in history is with the cinchona tree. The natives of Peru discovered that quinine can be extracted from the bark of the cinchona and be used to treat fever associated with malaria. Yet again, an Englishman, Charles Ledger, smuggled the cinchona seeds from South America and quinine plantations were subsequently established in Java. This resulted in the destruction of the South American monopoly in quinine and created the new Dutch monopoly.
Biopiracy continues to exist today all over the world. In 1997, an American company known as RiceTec Inc was granted a patent by the US on Basmati rice. However, this rice had been grown in India and Pakistan for centuries, regions that can no longer refer to their own rice as Basmati without paying royalties. Thus, Indian traders and exporters are having their markets stolen by RiceTec and the Indian farmers are cheated of their intellectual and biodiversity heritage.
Plant transfers result in several consequences for communities from which the crops are taken. The companies involved in biopiracy make huge profits at the expense of the developing countries that posessed the original resources and knowledge. Many patents either deny economic compensation to indigenous groups or prevent them from using the plant materials. Biopiracy alters the environment, which in turn causes biodiversity depletion in many regions. Conservation of biodiversity enables variety of available foods and nutrition, as well as, decreasing the spread of pathogens to humans.
More information on how important biodiversity is:
http://www.who.int/globalchange/ecosystems/biodiversity/en/
Hi Andrea! I am interested on the section of your post about Basmati rice. Did the RiceTec Inc. patent on Basmati rice have negative impacts on the Indian people who originally grew the rice?
ReplyDeleteHey Jessica! Thanks for the comment. RiceTec is essentially taking away from the traditional and long-standing relationship between basmati and the Indo-Park subcontinent. The company plans to monopolize the commercial profits of past research, without giving any recognition to those who have played key roles in the evolution and breeding of basmati rice in its natural habitat. Earnings from Basmati constitute almost half of Pakistan’s rice export revenues. While, Basmati comprises about three-quarters of India’s total rice exports. Thus, a potential exists for the U.S. to displace Indian and Pakistani basmati exports. Furthermore, the hybridization caused by the company could harm genetic diversity and deplete farmlands of their intrinsic resources.
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