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The National Biodiversity Authority disbursed close to ₹3.79 crore as Access and Benefit Sharing to 33 State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, ICAR-NBPGR and, through the Haryana State Biodiversity Board, to the Hisar Bovine Sperm Station and Research Centre.
The amount was realised from companies including Bayer Science and Innovation, HM Clause India and Advanta Enterprises for accessing vegetable and oilseed genetic resources.
A further ABS amount arose from Sri Lanka's Department of Animal Production and Health for access to Sahiwal cattle semen.
Resources covered include tomato, chilli, brinjal, cauliflower, watermelon, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, okra and mustard seed varieties.
The amount was distributed proportionately among States and UTs using cultivation-area data published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Access and Benefit Sharing is the principle that when a country's biological resources or the traditional knowledge attached to them are used — typically by a company developing a commercial product — a fair share of the resulting benefit must flow back to the country and to the communities that conserved the resource. Without it, genetic material developed over generations by farmers can be commercialised with nothing returning to its source, a pattern once described as biopiracy. India gives effect to ABS through the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The practical difficulty appears in this very case: because the companies had obtained the resources through markets, traders or intermediaries, the original point of access could not be identified. The NBA therefore applied benefit-sharing modalities prepared by an Expert Committee and approved by the Authority, distributing the money proportionately across the states where each crop is actually cultivated.
Simple Analogy: If a song passed down in a village becomes a commercial hit, ABS is the royalty that flows back to the village. When no single author can be identified, the royalty is shared among all who kept the song alive.
Statutory body performing facilitative, regulatory and advisory functions on conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of biological resources and fair and equitable benefit sharing; regulates access by foreign entities
The state-level tier, which regulates access by Indian entities and receives ABS disbursals — 33 of them received funds in this release
The local tier, constituted at village, municipal and other local body level, responsible for documenting biodiversity through People's Biodiversity Registers
India's national gene bank for plant genetic resources; one of the recipients of the ABS disbursal
India's framework law on conservation, sustainable use and fair and equitable sharing of benefits from biological resources; it gives effect to India's obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol.
The international instrument under the Convention on Biological Diversity governing access to genetic resources and the sharing of benefits from their use, with which India's ABS framework is aligned.
Amended the 2002 Act to align India's law with changing international practice, encourage Indian systems of medicine, reduce pressure on wild medicinal plants and fast-track research and patent applications.
The parent UN convention whose obligations the 2002 Act was enacted to fulfil.
GS Paper 3 > Environment — conservation, biodiversity, environmental legislation and international conventions
General Awareness > Environment and statutory bodies
General Awareness > Environment
The principle that benefits arising from the use of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge must be shared fairly with the country and communities of origin.
The protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity governing access to genetic resources and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation.
Living genetic material — seeds, tissue or semen — maintained for breeding, conservation and research.
The local documentation of biological resources and associated knowledge, prepared by Biodiversity Management Committees.
An indigenous Indian cattle breed; access to its deep-frozen semen generated part of the ABS amount in this case.