BIODIVERSITY: THE
CHALLENGES FOR FRIENDS OF THE EARTH
Although organizations all around the
world talk about biodiversity, it is in
fact a relatively new concept. For Friends
of the Earth, the concept of biodiversity
embraces not only biological diversity but
also cultural diversity, thereby
recognizing the role of communities and
indigenous peoples in the conservation,
adaptation and improvement of biological
diversity.
Biodiversity is hypothetically protected
by various national laws, as well as by the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),
which unites a large number of countries.
An important CBD meeting took place during
the first week of October in San José,
Costa Rica. The theme of the meeting, which
was dominated by a group of experts, was
access to genetic resources. Unfortunately,
the end result was the subordination of
community rights to the demands of
industry, which is becoming rich thanks to
the knowledge of communities and the
biological diversity of many Latin
American, African and Asian countries.
The subject of community rights has also
been broached within the World Trade
Organization (WTO). However, the goal there
is also not the protection of community or
other human rights, but the commodification
and commercialization of biodiversity so
that transnational biotech companies can
gain monopolies through patenting. What
counts is money within the WTO, and
biodiversity in the true sense of the word
is never seriously discussed.
FoE Costa Rica, as well as the Third
World Academy of Science and many farmers,
indigenous peoples, environmentalists and
academic organizations, strongly oppose the
patenting of life forms. During the
November WTO ministerial in Seattle, the
WTO was forced to listen to an opposition
that is growing stronger and more diverse
each day. The firm stance against life
patenting taken by African countries,
supported by some Latin American and Asian
countries, has shaken the consensus around
the patenting of life.
The issue of biodiversity raises many
challenges to FoEI as a global network. We
should discuss issues including patents,
international legislation, access, the
biotechnology industry, national
sovereignty and technology transfer. Most
important, however, is that our campaigning
be informed by local communities, which are
the most dependent upon and the most
knowledgable about biological
diversity.
Isaac Rojas, FoE Costa Rica
