The apple of discord: genetic diversity on the table in Nagoya
28 October 2010 | News story For the last eight years, parties
to the Convention on Biological Diversity have been
unsuccessfully trying to adopt an agreement that would make sure
that the benefits we derive from our planet’s genetic resources
are shared fairly and equitably with biodiversity-rich but
financially poor countries. This highly contentious deal is
expected to be finalized in Nagoya. We ask Sonia Peña Moreno,
IUCN’s Biodiversity Policy Officer, to explain why this issue
has been so controversial. Let’s start with the basics: What is
genetic diversity? Genes are one of the three components of
biodiversity, the other two being ecosystems and species. For
example, if you break a leaf into its tiniest particles, what
you’ll find there will be its genetic components, its DNA, which
is used by research institutes, universities and private
companies from various sectors such as pharmaceuticals,
cosmetics, agriculture and biotechnology. Althou