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The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
WHAT IS COVERED BY THE CBD ?
SURELY SEED COLLECTING IS HARMLESS ?
WHAT PlantNetwork MEMBERS SHOULD DO
MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENTS
The Convention establishes three main goals:
The third objective of the CBD, which is also called Article 15, states
The aim is to ensure that trade and commercial use of genetic resources (i.e. living things) benefits the country(s) from which the plant or animal was first collected. It is hoped that by attaching a genuine, present-day value (not necessarily monetary, but in the transfer of knowledge, building of capacity and training of counterparts in developing nations) to this biodiversity, then the value of protecting this biodiversity will likewise become real and tangible.
It is true that plant diversity is most threatened by vegetation clearance, agriculture and alien plant introductions.
Some may therefore argue that restricting free and open access for plant collectors in countries such as China or
Mexico will have a negligible effect upon conserving their flora. However this is not what the CBD has been devised
to do. It is a framework through which the true value of this genetic resource can be realised by the country of origin.
Each time a ' new' introduction is made by underhand methods, then the overall value of that country's biodiversity is
reduced. Even the development of new plant cultivars using plant species from overseas is a small but noticeable
depreciation in their genetic resource. The CBD has not been devised simply to end all plant collecting and the
horticultural trade. Responsible access to genetic material should allow the source countries to share in the
benefits that others may gain. A simple ideal is that if and when a valuable asset is developed then a percentage of
the profits should be shared with the country of origin (this does not have to be simply financial). At present many
developing countries with a rich biological heritage are understandably suspicious, and if we are ever to see a
return to easy access we must all demonstrate good faith from now on.
All responsible horticulturists should take immediate steps to ensure that they do not, through the best of intentions allow
the genetic property of other countries to be dissipated. Many of the large Botanic Gardens, such as Edinburgh,
Glasnevin and Kew have already implemented very strict CBD guidelines on their own collections. This means that
they will only accept, exchange or transfer plants with organizations or individuals they are confident will treat the
material with due regard and undertake the same responsibility in the growing and further distribution of these items.
You can assist the CBD by not buying wild collected material unless you are satisfied that the seed or plants were collected
in an appropriate manner, and that the country of origin has sanctioned the selling or distribution of this material. It may seem
like a small nicety, but the impact of these many introductions is genuinely harmful and each time you refuse to accept such
material then you are doing your bit in preserving and bolstering the value of that countries biodiversity.
However, that said, it is important that some sort of recompense can be channeled back to these countries - the purpose of
the CBD is to generate and share that value - and what better way than through gardeners contributing some sort of royalty
back to these countries ?
A typical MTA would be worded along these lines:
The DONOR intends to honour the letter and spirit of the 1992 CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY in the use of its collections. Accordingly the supply of the material listed below is subject to the following conditions:
A full summary of the CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY can be downloaded here.
WHAT IS COVERED BY THE CBD ?
It is not just the search for 'drugs in the rainforest' that the CBD covers. For centuries the gardens of the west have benefited
from the wild plants of Asia, China, central and southern America, South Africa and Australasia. Today we recognise that
even a humble garden plant that has been growing in our gardens for a century or more was probably removed from a country
of origin when neither permission, nor informed consent was sought. Today horticulture is a billion euro business. Genetic
engineering means that even the most microscopic piece of DNA may represent an extremely valuable asset. Thus unlike
a mineral mine or oil well, genetic raw materials can be removed from a country of origin and readily synthesised overseas. SURELY SEED COLLECTING IS HARMLESS ?
WHAT PlantNetwork MEMBERS SHOULD DO
These gardens require that no plant can be accepted without proof that they were collected in a bona fide manner with the
appropriate agreements and Prior Informed Consent of the countries of origin.
Do you display plants of a particular country, or a species of plant threatened in its native habitat ? What benefit do you gain as a garden ?
Would you be prepared to share some of that benefit with the source area in the hope that in so doing you could help to protect what is in
effect the headwaters of the very material that beautifies our gardens. It is a sobering thought that nursery and plants sales in the UK
is valued at £1.5 billion per year.MATERIAL TRANSFER AGREEMENT
Signed by RECIPIENT